


Obscura

by LonesomeBard



Series: Obscura Trilogy [1]
Category: Life Is Strange (Video Game)
Genre: F/F, ghost whisperer - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-28
Updated: 2016-09-28
Packaged: 2018-08-18 09:07:29
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 9
Words: 28,939
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8156728
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LonesomeBard/pseuds/LonesomeBard
Summary: When Chloe Price offered to sacrifice herself in order to save Arcadia Bay, she didn't realize that death was just the beginning. Now it's Chloe's turn to keep Max out of harm's way.





	1. Surprise! You're dead!

 

"Get that gun away from me, psycho!" Chloe Price yelled, shoving the young man who was pointing a gun at her.

A loud bang echoed around the girls' restroom as the gun in Nathan Prescott's hand went off and the deadly projectile pierced its way through the blue haired punk girl's abdomen.

Chloe fell on the floor together with the gun that had just wounded her. Surprisingly, she didn't feel any pain, even though she could feel the warm blood soaking her shirt and her hand. In fact, she felt a bit lightheaded as her life was slowly coming to an end.

 _Way to go, Price. You really fucked things up this time,_ she thought. _I guess step-prick gets the last word after all._

As everything was becoming darker, Chloe didn't pay attention to her killer who was erratically pacing around holding his head in panic. Instead, she caught the face of a young brunette, who was glancing behind the last stall, her face covered in tears. Chloe had not seen her for five years but she immediately recognized the freckled face.

 _Max…?_ That was her last thought as she slowly sighed out her last breath and the darkness became light.

* * *

The first thing Chloe became aware of was the smell of flowers and outside air. She opened her eyes and had to close them immediately as the brightness dazzled her. She slowly squint them open again to adapt to the light. She saw a clear blue sky. She turned her head and realized that she was lying on a flower meadow.

 _The fuck? S_ he asked herself. _What am I doing in a fucking Windows XP desktop picture?_

Chloe stood up slowly and tried to get her bearings. Everywhere she looked she could only see rolling flower fields. There were no landmarks or anything. Just flowery meadows as far as the eye could see. The sun was shining on the cloudless sky and Chloe could feel a warm breeze on her cheeks.

 _Well, this ain't no Arcadia Bay, that's hella sure,_ Chloe thought as she started walking to some direction. As she stepped idly she tried to gather her thoughts of what had happened before.

 _Ok, I was having a parlay with that creep Prescott, when he decided to pull a gun on me and then…_ Chloe touched her abdomen and turned to look down. There was a hole in her shirt, slightly scorched from the muzzle fire and the fabric had slightly stained from the blood, but there was no wound.

 _Oh fuck..._ she thought when she saw something a short distance away. It was a small pavilion. _Hmm, could've sworn that wasn't there a while ago._ Chloe started walking towards it. _Wait a minute! There's someone there!_ Her pacing became faster and the last few yards she ran until she reached the steps into the pavilion.

A young woman in white dress was standing inside the pavilion. She turned to face the newcomer. Chloe gasped when she saw her face.

"Rachel! Is it really you?" the blue-haired punk asked.

"Yes, Chloe. It's me," Rachel Amber replied and opened her arms for an embrace.

Chloe leaped to the blonde girl and squeezed her tightly. "Oh I'm so glad to see you!"

"I'm glad to see you too, Chloe," Rachel said, keeping the skinny girl in her embrace.

Chloe eased on her squeeze and took one step back. "What is this place? The last thing I remember is that I got shot and then I woke up here. Am I… dead?"

"Yes Chloe, you are dead," the blonde girl confirmed Chloe's question. "That gunshot wound was fatal. You were dead before the paramedics arrived."

"Oh crap!" Chloe responded before she realized. "But, if I'm dead…"

"…then I'm dead too, Chloe," Rachel concluded.

The punk girl fell on her knees and started sobbing. "Jesus, Rachel! After you disappeared, I spent all my time searching for you! I- I never gave up on you. I just couldn't."

"I know and I am grateful for that." Rachel placed her arm on Chloe's shoulder. "I died soon after my disappearance."

"How? Who?"

"I was killed by the same person, who killed you, Chloe. Nathan Prescott," Rachel answered. "He and Mark Jefferson shared a dark passion and he accidentally overdosed me while pursuing this passion."

"Nathan Prescott…" Chloe's eyes streaked and she clenched her arms into fists. "Had I known, I would've killed that bastard on first sight."

"I'm glad you didn't, even if that means that you're here with me now," Rachel placed her hand again on Chloe's shoulder. "Justice will be served to Nathan Prescott, as well as to Mark Jefferson."

"So, am I in Heaven now?" Chloe asked. "I mean this doesn't look like the other place."

"No. This place has many names. Some call it Purgatory, others call it the in between, others don't know what to call it. This is an arrival place for restless souls, souls that have unfinished matters in the world of the living. Unfinished bidness, as you would say." Rachel's remark made Chloe smirk. "What lies beyond this place, I'm not in liberty to tell you. Not until you're ready to cross over."

"Mmm-kay, sounds very Twilight Zone-y," Chloe said, lifting her eyebrows. "So what's with the flowery meadows?"

"The arrival place is associated to some personal memory or event of the newcomer. Are you using Windows XP by any chance?"

"What? You know that I don't!" Chloe huffed. "Linux all the way for me!"

"Then it must be some earlier event in your life, but that's not important," Rachel said to the punk girl who had crossed her arms in resentment.

"So, what unfinished 'bidness' I have that I need to sort out, in addition that I need to make Nathan Prescott's miserable life a living hell?" Chloe asked from the girl in white.

"It concerns your friend, Maxine Caulfield," Rachel answered.

"Max?" Chloe retorted, crossing her arms even tighter. "Some best friend she is! After my dad died, she moved to Seattle and then went completely under the radar!" The punk girl turned her back on Rachel. "She didn't even bother to contact me, when she came to Blackwell. She was too chicken to move one muscle to prevent Prescott putting me cold. You know, I'm glad that the first time she saw me was, when I was bleeding to death! She probably didn't even recognize me!"

Chloe turned again to face her late friend, her arms still crossed. "Anything to do with Max doesn't concern me. Now, if you don't have anything else, can you kindly point me to the stairway to hell, or whatever the fuck you want to call it?"

"I thought you might decline and I can understand why you feel this way," Rachel said to the angered punk girl. "I could explain you but it's easier if I just simply broaden your mind," she continued and took a firm grip from Chloe's hands.

"What the fuck..." Chloe protested but quieted as her mouth and eyes opened wide from a sudden influx of memories that entered her mind.

Chloe saw herself being shot again in the girls' restroom but this time Max stood up from behind the stall and reaching out for the punk girl lying on the floor. She saw how time froze and how the whole series of events repeated but just before the gunshot Max stood up and turned on the fire alarm, enabling Chloe to escape from the situation.

She saw herself picking the freckled brunette from the parking lot and reconnecting again with her childhood friend.

She saw Max taking the blame of Chloe's pot smoking in front of her stepfather and then afterwards going to the lighthouse, where Max revealed her ability to reverse time.

She saw how Max demonstrated her ability to her first at the diner and then again at the junkyard.

She saw how Max used her powers to save her, when she injured herself with David's revolver and then again to prevent her being overrun by a train.

She also saw how Max prevented Kate Marsh from committing a suicide.

She saw how Max and she began to investigate Rachel Amber's disappearance, their break in to the school and their nightly swim in the gym pool.

She saw how Max managed to use her powers to prevent her father, William from dying and the shocking consequences of that.

She saw how Max made the heavy decision to restore everything back to normal and then them finding out the horrifying truth about what happened to Rachel.

She saw how Mark Jefferson killed her and captured Max to fulfill his dark fantasies.

She saw how Max used her powers to once again bring her back to life and how the anomalies in nature in the past days resulted into the enormous tornado that was going to wipe Arcadia Bay out of existence.

Then she finally saw her request to Max, their final words, and the kiss, before Max reversed everything back to beginning and wept silently as the one person that meant the most to her gave her life to save all the other people of her home town, completely oblivious of all that had lead to this conclusion. Completely oblivious of the feelings that she had developed for her childhood friend during the days that they were on borrowed time.

"Oh, Max!" Chloe fell on her knees. The anxiety made it hard for her to breath. She crossed her arms as a desperate effort to keep herself together. Chloe bit her lip, when emotions ranging from grief to fury, from happiness to sorrow went through her. A single tear flowed down her cheek, which she angrily brushed away. Finally Chloe turned her face up and glared furiously at her late friend.

"What the fuck did you just do to me?" Chloe shouted.

"For reasons unknown, you being shot triggered Maxine's ability to rewind time."

"Max, never Maxine," Chloe interrupted her.

"As _Max_ found out that she could rewind time," Rachel continued slightly irritated. "She decided to change the course of events so that you weren't killed in that incident. What you saw was all that you and Max experienced on the following days." Rachel paused to help Chloe back on her feet.

"This, however, had serious effects to the space time continuum. The anomalies and the tornado that you witnessed were the results of all the time jumps Max did," Rachel continued.

"So I was supposed to die on that day, when Nathan shot me."

"Yes. Max realized that her actions were the causing all that was happening. You then offered to sacrifice yourself to save Arcadia Bay from destruction."

"Yes- yes I did," Chloe said like she had just had a sudden recollection of the event. "This is freaky. I remember stuff that I never did."

"It can be overwhelming and it'll take some time to process," Rachel comforted her friend.

Chloe turned to face Rachel, frowning. "You and Frank Bowers, seriously?"

"There is more to Frank than meets the eye," Rachel told. "Nevertheless, I had ended it with Frank before I died," she paused and sighed. "I'm so sorry I didn't tell you. I know your feelings towards me were deeper than mine towards you. You have every right to be mad at me."

"You know what pisses me the most?" Chloe snapped. "That I no longer feel angry and betrayed because I've already processed the whole thing!" She crossed her arms again and looked away disgruntled.

"I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me some day," Rachel said.

"I don't see how's that gonna be possible," Chloe turned again to Rachel. "We're both, y'know, dead." She let out an impish grin. "C'mere, you!" She opened her arms and closed the other girl in a gentle embrace.

"Yes, I felt betrayed and disappointed, when I found out," Chloe said. "Dude, it feels weird saying that as it didn't actually happen."

"Well, it did and it didn't," Rachel told her.

"What I'm trying to say is that I've felt let down by so many people that finding about you and Frank almost pushed me over the edge. Luckily Max was there to help me put things in perspective - in a way that I could've never imagined." Chloe's voice fainted towards the end and a single tear ran down her cheek.

Chloe held on to Rachel for a while, before she eased her grip. She swiftly wiped her eyes and looked at her friend.

"So, what's the issue with Max then?" Chloe asked.

"Walk with me," Rachel said and began walking.

"When Maxine-, Max used the picture to undo all the events that had taken place after she discovered her powers, she never destroyed the picture. Instead, she kept it," Rachel said as they slowly paced forward.

"While there's no reason to believe that Max still has her abilities, the picture poses a possible threat to the space time continuum. – And that's where you come in." Rachel turned to face Chloe.

"As a restless soul, you can still walk among the living, which makes you the perfect candidate to observe Max, to be her guardian angel, so to speak."

Chloe's expression brightened of the prospect to spend time with Max but Rachel grabbed her by the arms to get her attention.

"You are not in any circumstance to try to make contact with Max - unless her powers manifest themselves again and she tries to use the picture to change the past. Do you understand?" Rachel asked firmly.

Chloe understood all too well, what that meant. She hung her head and let out a deep sigh. "Yes, I understand," she finally said.

"Within those limits you can keep Chloe out of harm's way," Rachel continued. "In the event that Max's powers do manifest, use your best judgment to prevent that from happening."

"How am I supposed to do that, wave curtains, or something?" Chloe blurted, still annoyed about that she wouldn't be able to contact Max to reassure her.

"Well, you can do that too," Rachel said, smiling at the thought, "but there are better ways in store for you, which I will tell you in a moment."

They were suddenly on the cliff by the lighthouse of Arcadia Bay. The sun was setting and it colored the sea in the shade of gold.

"Chloe, will you accept this role as Max's guardian angel?" Rachel asked from the punk, looking into her eyes.

"You already know the answer," Chloe said. "Besides, I don't think I have a choice, do I?"

"No, not really," Rachel admitted.

"Let's get down to bidness, then!"

**To be continued...**


	2. Subterranean

"Congratulations, Class of 2014!" The big banderol declared boldly above the group of people wearing graduation gowns and caps. Max was sitting on the couch and going through one of her photo albums. She took a sip from the wine glass that she was holding in her hand. A bottle of chardonnay was on the living room table, standing by for a possible refill.

Max remembered the day she had graduated from Blackwell Academy like it had happened yesterday, even though it had been over three years ago. The weather had been quite windy and they had had to hold on to their caps so that they would not have been blown away with the gusts.

During her senior year, Max had managed to push her GPA up to a respectable 3.4. After Chloe's death, she had concentrated on her studies to keep herself busy, allowing only short moments to grievance as she was afraid that the loss of her best friend and the love of her life would be too overwhelming to cope with.

Max turned another page on her album. There was a picture of her sitting on the hood of a truck, a 1979 Ford Ranchero. Max had somewhat broken out of her hipster mold, when she had bought that old, gas-guzzling hunk of junk. She had seen it from the bus window by a used car dealership. The somewhat faded metallic blue color had reminded her of Chloe's hair, and the truck itself reminded her of the banged up truck Chloe used to drive.

Max had stepped out of the bus at the next possible stop and ran back to the dealership. The Ranchero had seen better days but it was in running condition and the price tag was reasonable. After a quick negotiation over the phone with her parents, which included a lot of persuasion and solemn swears that she would improve her grades, she had the funds to buy the truck and the title changed owner. She didn't even try out the truck before buying it.

When Max's parents had seen the first picture of her new car, they had demanded that Max would return that "heap of junk" back to the dealership immediately, and demand a full refund. It had required some more persuasion and reassurance to convince her parents that, despite its appearance, the truck was indeed roadworthy. The last wasn't exactly true but Max figured that her parents wouldn't come all the way from Seattle to do a car inspection.

After Chloe's passing, Max had kept in touch with Joyce and her spouse, David Madsen, who had been kind enough to make the Ranchero actually roadworthy, despite his own car being in pieces in the garage. He had even installed a lockable accessory box in the back, where she could store her photography equipment.

Max turned another page and felt something grasping her heart as she saw the picture on that page. It was the only picture of Chloe that she had of her that wasn't taken before Max moving to Seattle. Chloe was sitting on a rest stop bench with a backpack. She had not yet dyed her hair blue.

Max had taken a lot of pictures of Chloe during their time together after their reunion but they all had been wiped out of existence, when Max had undone everything.

Today was the third anniversary of the day, when they had bid their farewells to each other and shared one final kiss, before Max had wiped the last five days out of existence. Max never commemorated the day of Chloe's death, but this day instead, because it felt more right.

_Oh, Chloe, I miss you so much!_ Max laid her fingers gently on the picture. _Life is so fucking unfair!_

Max emptied her glass and poured some more. She was starting to feel the slight buzz caused by the alcohol. Not that it really would take the pain away, maybe just make her slightly numb, but the hurt would still be there.

Max turned the page again, knowing what the next picture would be. A blue butterfly was standing on the bucket edge. That was the picture she had taken on that fateful day, just before Chloe had bled to death just a few feet away from her hiding place. It was the picture that she had used to undo the happiest and worst days of her life.

Max didn't really know why she had kept the picture. It would've been wiser to just destroy it, but here it was, carefully placed in the photo album.

She wiped another tear from the corner of her eye and took the picture in her hand. It appeared slightly blurry. _Must be the wine,_ she thought and tried to focus her eyes. The picture became sharp again but almost instantaneously, it began to pulsate and she started hear ambient noise.

Max stared at the picture in a trancelike state, until she realized what was happening. She gasped and dropped the picture on the floor, trying to catch her breath.

_Oh fuck! It's happening again!_ Max thought. She was shivering. _Can it be...?_ She reached out for her almost empty wine glass and tipped it over. The remaining chardonnay was spilled on the table.

Max then stretched out her hand and concentrated. As hard as she tried, the glass stayed tipped over and the wine spilled on the table. Max let out a sigh of relief.

"Okay, get a grip, Caulfield. You've just had enough to drink for the night," she said out loud and picked the picture up from the floor.

Max looked at the picture again and found it still to be blurry, so she focused on it again and as soon as it became sharp, it started pulsating.

Max dropped the picture again. "Oh no, no, no!" She gasped out loud. She could feel the anxiety taking over her.

"No! I can't let it happen again!" Max picked up the picture again from the floor with the intention to tear it to pieces. Just as she was about to rip it apart, she stopped. She held the picture in hand for a moment then she carefully placed it back into the photo album.

She clenched the album tightly in her arms and curled on the couch and began to cry.

"I'm so sorry, Chloe..."

* * *

"Max, I'm home!" Victoria Chase shouted as she closed the door behind her. "My mystery date turned out to be a complete douche." She put her coat on the hanger. "You still have some of that chardonnay left?" she asked, when she walked into the living room.

Victoria saw the freckled brunette sleeping, curled on the couch, holding a photo album. She looked at the table, where there was a nearly empty bottle of wine and a wine glass tipped over in a puddle of wine.

"Oh, Max," Victoria whispered, shaking her head. She carefully removed the photo album from Max's grasp and placed it on the bookshelf. She also took the bottle and wine glass to the kitchen and finally tucked her sleeping friend with a blanket.

Victoria took a few steps back and looked at the sleeping woman. _Who would've thought that I'd end up sharing an apartment with Maxine Caulfield._ She smiled at the thought.

When the shooting of Chloe Price had happened that had triggered a chain of events that had unraveled a lot of things. In addition to shooting Chloe, it had turned out that Nathan Prescott had been drugging several Blackwell students, including Kate Marsh and Rachel Amber, latter of whom he had accidentally overdosed to death.

It had been a shock to Victoria that Mark Jefferson, her photography professor and a man that she admired, had been manipulating Nathan to drug all those girls so that he could fulfill his perverse fetish. Even more shocking was, when she was told that Jefferson had had empty files of Max and her, ready and waiting.

Now knowing the reason to Kate Marsh's behavior at the Vortex Club party, she had swiftly removed the video of Kate from the social media. Soon thereafter, Max had come to her and literally pushed her back against the wall and told her to remove the video. When telling that she had already done that, Max told her that she needed to do more. She needed to go and apologize to Kate. When Victoria had looked into Max's eyes, she had seen a determination and attitude like never before. Before Max let her go, she said something that would be later defined as the turning point of their relationship. Max had told her that she wouldn't need to conceal her insecurity behind bitchiness and belittling others. Instead, she should have confidence in her own talent and just be herself.

Victoria had placed split first place with Max in the Everyday Heroes Contest. The entry to be submitted had then been drawn from the two winners. Max's entry had won the draw, but they both got to go to San Francisco. Even though she hated to admit it, she felt that Max's entry should've won hands down. Not that she minded a free trip to San Francisco.

While in San Francisco, they had got an opportunity to build some rapport. Victoria realized that she was beginning to admire Max's not giving a shit about what others think of her attitude. Max, on the other hand, seemed to sincerely admire Victoria's work. Victoria was starting to feel safe to let her guard down with Max and open up, which was answered with genuine kindness.

During the trip, a bitter rivalry had evolved into a budding friendship, and when they returned, their classmates were amazed about the sudden change of atmosphere between the two.

Even more amazed they would be about the change of attitude in Victoria. She was still posh, but not with the expense of others. She tried to conciliate and at least create formal relations with all her classmates. She put extra effort to make amends with Kate, who eventually started to warm up on her.

Victoria was still good friends with Courtney and Taylor, who also noticed the change in her but wouldn't mind. They also noticed that Victoria started to spend more and more time with Max and the two were really beginning to bond.

By graduation, Victoria and Max were almost inseparable. They'd have long conversations in the wee hours in either's room and go on weekend trips together. They were thrilled, when they heard that both had been accepted to the Master of Arts program at the Seattle University, Max with full scholarship.

They had found a furnished two bedroom flat from Capitol Hill that had had a reasonable rent. In addition to the two bedrooms the flat included a spacious kitchen-living room and a shared bathroom between the two bedrooms. Capitol Hill was a trendy neighborhood, offering live music, awesome food and a brisk nightlife.

They had stuffed all their personal belongings into Max's battered truck and moved to Seattle in the summer after the graduation. They'd driven in two cars as Victoria had her BMW with her and, as much as she liked Max, she would not be seen in that rust bucket of hers.

So they had settled in Seattle, enrolled into the university, gone to classes, gone shopping, visited both of their parents, done weekend trips, the works. Pretty soon Victoria had discovered that she had feelings toward her roommate that went beyond friendship. She was slowly falling in love with the freckled brunette.

At first, Victoria was slightly confused of these feelings. She had had her experiments in Blackwell but she had always considered herself straight. After a thorough process of self-examination and some sleepless nights, she came to a conclusion that the gender really didn't matter. In the end it was all about the person she was in love with.

The thing was that Max didn't seem to share the same kind of feelings towards her. Max cared a lot about Victoria and she'd done anything for her but she didn't seem to be able to express any deeper emotions. Art first Victoria thought that she just needed time to get over the loss of her childhood friend but when time passed, Max seemed to still be grieving over Chloe, like she had lost her soul mate. But that would have been a foolish thought, as they haven't kept in touch for five years and they never got a chance to reconnect before Chloe died.

_Can't believe, it's already been three years,_ Victoria thought as she turned to look at the sleeping brunette. _I don't know how much longer I can wait for you, Max Caulfield._

Victoria was about to go to her room, when she suddenly saw something, _someone_ in the corner next to the dining table. When she blinked her eyes to take a closer look, the mysterious figure was gone. Victoria gasped. She walked into the corner but there was nothing there. She felt a cold shiver going down on her back, as she knew exactly what it was that she had seen.

* * *

Detective Sergeant John Korhonen turned off the engine. A couple of patrol cruisers with flashing lights were blocking the entrance to an alley between two buildings.

"I guess we're in the right place," John said to his partner, Detective Stacy Kowalski, who was sitting next to him.

"Sure looks like it, Finn," Stacy answered, using John's nickname, which referred to his Finnish ancestry and which was commonly used of him throughout the East Precinct.

Finn was in his late fifties. His mousey hair had gracefully grayed from the temples and a few select wrinkles here and there on his face gave away his age. A loose shirt covered his budding belly mound but he was quite healthy for a man of his age. He was wearing a coal gray single-breasted suit and black loafers. He'd figured he would have a good five years in the force before retirement. He could have made lieutenant or even captain a long time ago but he had preferred to stay out of the administrative work and in the field.

Finn took a look at his partner, when they stepped out of the vehicle. Stacy Kowalski was in her early thirties. She had majored in criminology and minored in forensic psychology at the Seattle University before joining the force. She was just about to take the Sergeant's test and she had Quantico in her sights in a few years time.

Kowalski had been Finn's partner ever since she had got her Detective's badge and without a doubt she was his best partner so far. Despite their age difference they got along fine, even though Finn had a tendency to treat her somewhat paternally from time to time. Not that Stacy would mind, though, as her father had fallen in the Gulf War, when his fighter had been shot down.

Stacy was in top shape. The navy blue jacket and trousers didn't really do justice to her slim but slightly muscular figure. Her naturally red hair landed just above her shoulders. Every now and then Finn had to remind himself that he was old enough to be her father, and that he was happily married.

"Shall we?" Kowalski asked as one of the officers raised the streamer to let the two detectives in.

"Ladies first," Finn lend his hand.

They had been dispatched to a homicide scene in the First Hill district, just a few blocks down from the Seattle University campus area. Some students had been taking a shortcut through the alley on their way back to the campus, when they had discovered the body.

A patrol unit nearby had been dispatched to the scene. Immediately after arrival, they had isolated the scene and requested reinforcements and a forensics unit.

When Korhonen and Kowalski arrived, CSI Jason Tanaka had already photographed the scene and body and was examining the body more closely.

"Morning, Jason," Finn said, well aware that it was just past 2 a.m. "What have you got for us?"

"Kowalski, Finn," Tanaka greeted the two detectives as he stood up.

Finn and Kowalski took a look at the victim. It was a young woman, tied from the wrists and ankles. She was fully dressed up and looked like she was just sleeping on the plastics that she had been wrapped into.

"Female, caucasian, in her late teens or early twenties." Tanaka began as he kneeled down to feel the arm of the body. "Based on the rigor, I'd say she's been dead from 12 to 24 hours." Tanaka stood up again.

"Besides the ties, there's no visible sign of physical trauma. - With the exception of what appear to be needle marks on her neck." Tanaka pointed at the small puncture marks with his flashlight. "I have to run a tox screen but I'd dare to hazard a guess that we are looking at her cause of death."

"So is this the primary scene of crime?" Kowalski asked.

"Definitely secondary," Tanaka answered and pointed his flashlight to the ground. "There are tire tracks impressed on the goo that has leaked from the waste bins." He took one step backwards. "Someone backed up here, dropped the body here and left."

"Any ID on the victim?" Finn asked.

"No, but there was this." Tanaka passed an evidence bag containing a photo.

Finn took the photo. It was a picture of the victim, tied and dressed up the same way as she was now. There was one exception though. When the picture was taken, the victim was clearly alive, even though she appeared drowsy, like she had been drugged.

"So the unsub has kidnapped, drugged and photographed the victim and then killed her?" Finn asked.

"It would appear so," Tanaka said.

"Let me see that," Kowalski said to Finn and took the picture from his hands. "I remember reading about a similar case that happened in a small town, down in Oregon a few years ago," she said, looking at the picture. "The victims were drugged and photographed, although only one of the victims was killed."

"The perpetrator was a photography professor at the local private school, apparently a renown photographer, whose work has been exhibited nationwide," Kowalski continued. "One of the students was his accomplice. The whole thing was unraveled as the kid accidentally shot a former student of the school in a middle of a school day." She ended her lecture, passing the photo back to Tanaka.

"I take both of them were apprehended?" Finn asked.

"Yes, both should be in the Oregon State Pen, serving a pretty long sentence," Kowalski answered.

"So we may have a possible copycat here," Finn said and sighed.

"How do you know all that?" Tanaka asked from Kowalski, when he had recovered from the lecture.

"Stacy is aiming to be a profiler," Finn answered. "Getting familiar wit old cases is part of the job. - How long until you have the autopsy results?" Finn asked back.

"I should have the preliminary results by noon," Tanaka answered.

"Ok, let me know, when you have them," Finn said and turned to one of the uniformed officers. "Are the students, who found the victim still here?"

"No, we took their contact info and let them go," the officer answered and passed a piece of paper containing the names and numbers.

"Thanks!" Finn looked at his watch. It was almost three. "What do you say, want to get some shuteye, or shall we get coffee to go and head to the precinct?" He asked his partner.

"Won't be getting more than an hour's worth of sleep, if I go all the way to home. Let's go to the precinct," Kowalski answered.

Finn covered a yawn with his palm. _Had to ask._

"Ok, you start to look into that Oregon case and contact the local law enforcement first thing in the morning. I'll interview the kids, who found the body."

They walked back to their car and headed out for the nearest Starbucks.

**To be continued...**


	3. Every Breath You Take

Victoria lied in her bed awake. She had been rolling from side to side, thinking about what she had seen.

When Victoria was a child, she had discovered that she could see and talk to people that others couldn't. Her parents had brushed that aside as imaginary friends until she had started school. The other kids had started bullying her about this.

It wasn't long until Victoria's parents had been called to the principal's office on the account of Victoria having hit one of her bullies. This incident lead to that Victoria was sent to a therapist and she had got her first prescription medication.

The therapy sessions and the drugs had the effect that she no longer saw imaginary people. Victoria's parents considered the problem solved. Victoria, however, grew bitter from the whole experience and she decided that she wouldn't be victimized ever again.

She grew an impenetrable shell, under which no one had access to. She learned how to manipulate people to do her willing and soon became one of the most popular girls in her school. She also became one of the meanest girls to those, who wouldn't see eye to eye with her.

Victoria always had a group of people around her, who would do anything to please her. Inside though, she felt one of the loneliest people on earth.

All that began to change, when a small freckled hipster girl came to Blackwell Academy, where Victoria was starting her senior year.

The last spring semester at Blackwell had been the happiest time of her life so far, and not least thanks to Max, who had been able to see the real person under that impenetrable shell.

During spring semester she had again began to see what she now at older age knew to be the spirits of dead people. She had first tried to ignore them, hoping that they would just go away but that didn't seem to help.

Victoria felt helpless. All the spirits seemed to have issues but she didn't know how to help them. She would've wanted to confide in Max about this but she didn't dare as Max probably would thought her crazy and she didn't want to lose her friendship.

So she kept it to herself and just tried to cope with it. She considered renewing her prescription but she didn't like how the drugs made her feel emotionally numb.

First time she had actually tried to make contact with a spirit was, when she and Max had moved into their flat. The spirit was a former tenant of the flat, an elderly nice lady, who had lived in the building in the 1970s.

The reason why she couldn't cross over was that she had hidden a jewelry box in one of the closets and she wanted her grandniece to get them. Victoria was able to locate the box and deliver it to the lady's relative, enabling her then to cross over.

Max had wondered how Victoria knew that there was a jewelry box hidden inside the closet. Victoria had just shrugged it off as good luck and intuition.

It had been pretty peaceful, until this night, when she had seen the figure in the corner. She was sure that it had been a spirit, and even though she had just caught a quick glimpse, she had a pretty good idea, who that spirit was.

Chloe Price had attended Blackwell for a short time before being expelled and even though she and Victoria hung around in completely different circles, Chloe was a hard person to forget.

 _What is she doing here?_ Victoria asked herself. _Has she been hanging around Max all these years?_

She turned on her other side and cuddled around her blanket. _Should I tell Max? - No! She'd think I've completely lost it._

Victoria let out an audible sigh and looked at the alarm clock. The digits read '6:15'. She sighed again. _Oh crap! Have to get up pretty soon._ She hid her head under the pillow.

* * *

Max was in an empty room. She looked around to see that there was no door. The only thing was a small picture on the wall held by a drawing pin. She walked to it. It was the picture of her with Chloe as kids.

Max looked around again to make sure that there indeed was no exits in the room.

 _So does this mean I have to focus on the picture to get out?_ she asked herself.

"Are you sure you want to do it? Remember what happened last time," a voice said next to her.

Max turned her head and saw her 13 year old self standing next to her.

"But what if I don't change anything?" Max asked her younger self and turned to look at the picture, which had now changed to the one of the blue butterfly.

"If you don't do anything, then I end up dead," Chloe said from her other side.

"But wasn't that what you wanted?" Max asked her dead friend.

She turned to face the picture once more. It had now changed to the one, where she was standing in front of her photo memorial wall.

"You could always try tearing it apart," a voice that made Max shiver said from behind her. She turned and saw Mark Jefferson standing behind her.

"Well, you'd like that, wouldn't you, you bastard!" Max said angrily.

"Dude, what's it gonna be?" Chloe asked her.

"You have to make up your mind," the young Max said to her.

"We don't have all day, you know," Mark Jefferson added. "So what'll it be, Max?"

"Who you're gonna choose, Max?"

"Make up your mind already, Max!"

All three started to tug her.

"Maa-x?"

"Max?"

"Max!"

They kept on tugging and shaking her until everything became blurry. Max closed her eyes and tried to scream but nothing came out of her mouth.

"Max, are you awake?"

Max opened her eyes and saw Victoria trying to shake her.

"Wha-, what? Victoria?" she said with a groggy voice. "Aagh, my head is fucking exploding!" Max squeezed her eyes shut.

"Well, no wonder, considering that you single-handedly emptied almost a bottle of chardonnay," Victoria said to her in a preaching tone. "It's almost seven. Aren't you supposed to have a photo session with Julia this morning?"

It took a few seconds for Victoria's words to sink in. When they did, Max's eyes went wide open and she was fully awake.

"Oh shit! I'm going to be late!" Max said as she jumped out of the couch. "Why didn't my alarm clock go off?"

"Oh, it did. - In the bedroom," Victoria said to her, slightly peeved. "And a good morning to you too."

Max took a moment to look around and saw that she was still in the living room.

"Sorry, good morning, Victoria," she responded slightly embarrassed. "How was your date?" she tried to change the subject.

"Well, I returned home a lot earlier than I expected," Victoria summed up her mystery date.

"That bad, huh?" Max asked.

"Pretty much but I don't really have time to go into the details, and neither do you," Victoria answered. "I've already been to the shower, so the bathroom is free."

Max headed to her bedroom to get undressed and hit the shower.

"You were sleeping a bit restlessly," Victoria said to her half way.

"I was having a bit of a nightmare," Max commented.

"Care to share?" Victoria asked.

Max stopped and thought about her dream. It had been a while since had seen a nightmare related to her experiences. Even though they had been close friends for years now, Max had not dared to confide in Victoria about what had happened four years ago.

"Nothing special," Max just said. "Y'know, stuff."

Victoria knew that there was more to that and it hurt that Max wouldn't tell what was on her mind.

"How about you?" Max asked back. "Sleep well?"

"Didn't sleep at all," Victoria answered. "I've been rolling around in my bed the whole night."

"Something on your mind?"

Victoria felt a sting in her heart, when she answered: "Y'know, stuff." _Well, here's the pan calling the kettle black._

Max continued her walk towards the bedroom, trying to rub her throbbing temples. "Any chance I could hitch a ride from you to work?" She turned to ask her roommate. "I don't think I should be driving this morning," she continued with slight embarrassment in her voice.

"What you shouldn't be doing, is to drink so much on a weeknight," Victoria chastened. "You know, I'm becoming slightly worried about you."

Victoria's words hit Max pretty hard. Her roommate wasn't entirely wrong. Max had noticed also herself that she needed to ease her pain with alcohol more often than before, but she didn't think of it yet to be a problem.

"You're probably right," she answered as she stepped into the bedroom and began to pull off her top. "So how about that ride?"

"Sure, I can drop you off!" Victoria answered. "Just go into that shower or we'll both be late!"

* * *

 _God, I need a smoke!_ Chloe was standing outside of the building, where Max and Victoria lived. Apparently being dead didn't help to nicotine withdrawals, at least the psychological ones.

She was observing the people on the sidewalks, hoping to find a smoker. _A-ha!_ She spotted a man down the street, wearing a business suit just about to light up.

Chloe ran swiftly to the man and phased inside of him, taking over the man's body. She took a long drag, which she then slowly exhaled.

This was one of the abilities that she had gained, when she became a spirit. She could completely take over a living person's body by phasing herself into it. There were some drawbacks, though. Chloe would still be Chloe with her own memories and mannerisms, and with no access to the possessed person's memories, therefore she couldn't impersonate the possessed person simply by just taking over the body. After Chloe left the body, the possessed person would have no recollection of the event.

This ability had become handy on a couple of occasions, when she had been watching over Max. One time, some low-life with knife had tried to rob Max on a dark alley. Chloe had taken over the thug's body and stabbed the thug's own thigh with the knife, knowing that when possessing a body, she would feel all the pain that the body felt. She clenched the thug's teeth in agony, but she had to make sure that Max made it to safety, before releasing.

Chloe took another drag, when she slowly walked to Max's truck. She couldn't help smiling at the vanity plates Max had got on the truck, when she had moved to Seattle. 'QNTMLP' stood in bold letters on the new Washington plates. As kids, Chloe and Max had been big fans of the Quantum Leap TV series, when a re-run had been going on some channel. They had been watching in awe, when Sam Beckett had jumped in time and set right what once went wrong. _Had we known back then..._

"Can I help you with something?" a familiar voice asked. Chloe had been so preoccupied with Max's truck that she didn't see its owner coming.

"Dude, I was admiring your truck. The plates are hella cool!" Chloe blurted out, before she realized, what she had said. _Uh oh, time to bail out!_ Chloe left the businessman standing dumbfounded in front of the young woman.

Chloe watched as Max took a tripod out of the truck's storage box and then ran to Victoria's BMW. The two then revved away. Chloe didn't follow. She could sense, if Max was in distress and could be with her instantly, if needed.

Chloe transported herself into Max's and Victoria's living room, walked to the photo album on the shelf and frowned upon it. Until yesterday, Chloe had thought that Max's powers were gone for good. Max's focus on the picture after her self-induced guilt trip left no room for doubt, though.

Chloe sighed. The time had come to fulfill the task she had been given. It would be her ticket to cross over. Maybe that would also help Max to move on.

Chloe looked at Victoria's bedroom door. She was certain that Victoria had seen her last night. Rachel had told her that she wasn't completely invisible to the living. Animals, children and few select adults could sense and see her. Chloe could have never imagined, though, that Victoria was one of them.

But that didn't matter. Chloe would wait here until Max came home and then she would do what needed to be done.

* * *

Officer David Madsen parked his patrol car in front of the Arcade Bay police office building. His wife, Joyce had just offered him a tasty breakfast over at the Two Whales and he had taken a coffee to go, which he would enjoy at his desk.

David stepped into the building and was about head towards his desk, when Marcia, the office clerk called for him.

"Morning, David! There's a detective from Seattle that would like to speak with the officer in charge of the Jefferson case," Marcia said. "Anderson's not in yet."

"Patch him through to me," David said. "I'm as familiar with the case as he is."

"'Her'," Marcia corrected. "Her name is Stacy Kowalski."

"Oh, okay," David said. "Patch _her_ up, then." He went to his desk, sat down and picked up the earpiece.

"Officer David Madsen," he said when the line was connected.

"Good morning! This is detective Stacy Kowalski from Seattle P.D." a female voice said on the other end. "I'm investigating a homicide and the M.O. seems to have similarities to a case that happened four years ago in Arcadia Bay."

"The Jefferson case," David said to the phone.

"That's the one," Kowalski said. "Were you the officer in charge of the investigation?"

"No, that would be officer Berry," David answered. "Truth be told, I wasn't even in the force back then."

"Well, would it be possible for me to talk with officer Berry, then?" Kowalski sounded a bit annoyed.

"Officer Berry hasn't arrived yet but I am quite familiar with the case," David made the best effort to let Kowalski's tone slide. "I was working as the Blackwell security guard back then. I was the first to arrive at the scene, where the Prescott kid shot-" David exhaled quietly before continuing. "-where the Prescott kid shot Chloe Price."

"I had been conducting my own investigations on suspicion that Nathan Prescott was dealing drugs to other students of Blackwell," David continued. "Some of the material I gathered during my own investigation linked Nathan Prescott to Mark Jefferson."

"So did this material lead the investigation to what Jefferson had been doing?" Kowalski asked.

"Not by itself but apparently Nathan Prescott fell apart in the preliminary hearings and told everything what he had been doing with Jefferson," David answered. "Including the overdosing of Rachel Amber."

"So Jefferson's intention was not to kill the victims but just to incapacitate them for his shoots?"

"At least based on what he told in the hearings," David told his colleague. "But after the incident with Rachel Amber, there's no telling when things would have escalated. – And in a way they did, and my-," David paused. "-my stepdaughter, Chloe suffered the consequences."

"Oh, I didn't realize that Chloe Price was your stepdaughter. I'm so sorry for your loss," Kowalski said.

"Thank you," David sighed. "It's been four years but it still hurts, especially, when I tried all my best to keep her out of trouble."

"I take there is a complete list of all the victims?" Kowalski changed the subject.

"Yes there is, including the two that Jefferson had planned to capture but never got the chance to do so," David said. "Both are actually living in Seattle now, by the way."

"Would it be possible to get the material related to the investigation and if you have the contact info for those young women, that would be great," Kowalski requested politely.

"Sure thing, I'll send those over," David answered as he wrote down Kowalski's email address. "Anything else I can help you with?"

"I think we're good, thanks! Nice talking to you," Kowalski said.

"You're welcome!" David ended the call.

David took a sip from his coffee. It was slightly lukewarm. He leaned back on his chair and looked around him. _You sure have come a long way from a school security guard,_ he thought. _And all thanks go to Max Caulfield._

The following weeks after Chloe's death had been burdening. He had to try to comfort Joyce, while trying to cope with his own loss. He and Chloe had never gotten on the same page. Chloe was still going through the loss of her real father and was feeling abandoned, whereas David, still suffering from PTSD, tried to make sure that his family would be safe. Somehow, those issues never seemed to find a common ground and caused massive fall outs between Chloe and him.

Still, David loved and cared about Chloe as much as he did for Joyce. Chloe's death made him really feel that he had failed as a husband and father. Only thing that kept him going was that Joyce needed him.

Then one evening, Max Caulfield had come to their home. She had bought this old Ford Ranchero, which barely run and had almost no brakes. She had walked to David and asked, if he would help her to make the truck roadworthy.

He'd taken a quick look at the truck and said that this truck would be better off in a junkyard. Joyce had joined them and asked him to at least fix the brakes, so that it would at least stop, when needed to.

Reluctantly, David had pushed his own project car in the yard and taken the truck in the garage. He'd started fixing the brakes. Max had offered to help and asked a lot of questions about the mechanics of the cars. She wasn't afraid to get her hands dirty either, so David had suggested that they'd take the engine off and do a bit of an overhaul.

When working on the car, they had talked about different things. Mostly about Chloe but other stuff too. For some reason, Max seemed to be inside his head better than anyone else, like she understood, what he was going through. Then, one evening, when they were reassembling the engine, Max had brought up the topic of his own investigations on Nathan Prescott. To this day, David didn't know, how Max had found about that.

Max had told him that since he obviously had a thing for solving mysteries, he should put it to proper use.

"What are you suggesting?" David had asked.

"You should join the police force," Max had answered.

He had thought Max was joking but she assured that she was dead serious. Later that evening, he had brought up the subject with Joyce and she had been very encouraging about it.

On the spring of Max's graduation, David had taken a leave of absence from his job and enrolled into the police academy. He'd passed the course with good grades and half a year later, when an opening at the Arcadia Bay P.D. had come available, he'd applied for the position and got chosen.

This was his third year on the force. He liked his job and was respected among his colleagues. The pay was better than a security guard's and the benefits included psychological consultation, where he could discuss his PTSD in confidence.

 _Funny, how things will work out,_ David thought as he emptied his mug.

* * *

John Korhonen returned to the precinct. The students who had found the body had not been able to shed any new light into the case. They didn't know who the victim was or hadn't seen her before.

Finn had spent most of the morning going through missing persons reports but there was no match. That could mean that no one had yet noticed that the victim was missing or that she didn't have any next of kin living here in Seattle.

"Any luck with the students?" Stacy Kowalski asked him, when he arrived at his desk.

"Nada," Finn answered. "They don't know the victim or haven't seen her at the campus area, which isn't surprising, considering the size of the campus. What about you?"

"I was in talks with an officer, who had been first on the scene, when the school shooting occurred," Stacy answered. "It turned out that the victim of the shooting was the officer's stepdaughter."

"Aw crap! That must've been hard on him," Finn said. "Can't think what I would though, if I found my Minnie dead," he continued.

"I just got all the material on the case," Kowalski continued. "I also got the contact info of two students that Jefferson had targeted but had not yet made a move on them. Maxine Caulfield and Victoria Chase. Both live here in Seattle. They share a flat together in Capitol."

Finn took a cup of coffee from the wending machine and turned to his partner. "Well, I guess we need to have a little chat with Ms. Caulfield and Ms. Chase, then."

**To be continued...**


	4. Last Train to Clarksville

Max was sitting on the passenger's seat of Victoria's BMW, when her roommate was speeding through the streets of Seattle the best she could. Her head was still throbbing from the hangover. Luckily, her stomach wasn't upset, so she could handle Victoria's driving.

"Easy now, Vic! I'd like to get there in one piece," Max said to the blonde behind the wheel.

"Zip it, Caulfield!" Victoria raised her index finger angrily. "If I keep this pace, then only _one_ of us will be late!"

They were rushing through Denny Way, towards the corner of 1st Avenue and Stewart Street, where Max's internship was.

The La Vida was a relatively young lifestyle magazine, which had begun to gain popularity throughout the Northwestern USA with its timely and trend-setting articles. The popularity of the La Vida was not the least due to their lead photographer, Julia Bennett, who had won the National Photography Award two times in a row in 2010 and 2011 and who had held several acclaimed exhibitions. Julia was also one of the founding members of the La Vida. And Max was her personal assistant.

Julia had been a guest lecturer at the Seattle University on Max's freshman year. Max had always admired her work and had stayed after the lecture hoping to exchange a few words with her idol. Max had been surprised, when Julia had all of a sudden come to her.

"Maxine Caulfield, I am Julia Bennett," she had introduced herself.

"Y- you know my name? – And it's Max," Max had stammered.

"Max, I saw your entry to the Everyday Heroes contest," Julia had said. "You really have an artistic eye."

"It's an honor to meet you Ms. Bennett," Max said. "I just love your work."

"Please, call me Julia."

It had taken a long time for Max to believe that it had actually happened, when Julia had given her card and told Max to be in touch, when her internship period was due.

Max had now been working as Julia Bennett's assistant for little over two months and it certainly had been different compared to the regular student life. Julia was very demanding and somewhat moody but she was fair and gave credit, when credit was due.

 _Well, I won't be getting any patting on the back this morning,_ Max thought, when Victoria turned on Stewart.

"So what was that guy with the suit all about?" Victoria asked as she barely missed a parked delivery van.

"I'm not sure," Max said. "He was staring at my truck, when I arrived. When I asked, if I could be of help, he first told how cool my truck and the plates were and then all of a sudden went speechless and disoriented, like he didn't know where he was." Max shrugged her shoulders. "Go figure."

"There are all kinds of nut jobs out there these days," Victoria remarked.

"Yeah," Max agreed. "I don't know. There was something about his posture and how he talked, like…" she thought out loud. "Naah!" she shook her head at the thought.

"Okay, we're here!" Victoria parked in front of a tall office building. "Now, get your ass and gear out of my car, otherwise I'll be late too!"

Max stepped out of the car and took the tripod and her camera bag from the trunk. "Lunch today?" she asked from her roommate.

"Sure, I'll text you," Victoria answered and revved away.

Max rushed to the elevator and picked her floor. _Come on, move faster!_ She thought as the elevator slowly went upwards.

The elevator chimed and the doors slid open. Max stepped into the lobby space of the editorial office of the La Vida magazine.

"Morning, Max. Julia's been looking for you," the lady at the desk said to her.

"Thanks!" Max responded as she paced hastily to her desk.

"Maxine Caulfield, you're late!" A stern voice startled her as she was putting her bag on the desk.

Max turned to see Julia Bennett standing behind her with crossed arms and a stern look on her face. Julia would only use Max's full name, when she was disappointed at her.

"Sorry, I had car trouble." A little white lie but a plausible one. "I'm sorry, it won't happen again, "Max said apologetically. _Sometimes I really wish that I still had my rewinding powers._

"Better not to," Julia said. "You can thank your Irish luck, as Ben Marney just called and said that he can't make it until ten." Julia referred to the famous decorator, who had been scheduled for a photo session at 8:30 and who had a reputation of expecting everything to be ready for him when he arrived. La Vida was doing a feature on Ben Marney and the photos were needed for the article.

"You know you really should get rid of that rust bucket of yours and get a modern, environmentally sound car," Julia said in a more relaxed tone, accompanied with a hint of smile.

"Yeah, probably," Max admitted. This wasn't the first time they'd had this conversation and Max wasn't really in the mood to start to defend the sentimental value of her truck.

"Okay, we have just enough time to go through the setup for the session, before Ben arrives," Julia said. "Come to my office."

Max followed Julia to her office. On their way, Max took a moment to observe her boss. Julia Bennett was in her mid thirties, although she could've easily passed for twenty-five. In the office she always wore straight wool and cotton blend pants, a silk blouse and a jacket. Simple and stylish. She was determined and quick-witted. According to office gossip, Julia had the final say on the monthly issue, rather than Jim Thompson, who was the editor-in-chief of La Vida.

Max didn't really care about the behind the scenes politics. She was glad to be the assistant of a renowned photographer from whom she could learn a lot and it would certainly look good in her resume.

* * *

John Korhonen was filling a travel request form. He planned to fly to Salem, Oregon this evening and visit the Oregon State Penitentiary the following day before returning to home. He wanted to question Mark Jefferson, if he had an idea who might possibly be copycatting him.

On the other side of the room, Stacy Kowalski was going through what they had on Mark Jefferson. _Born in Arcadia Bay, graduated from the Academy of Arts in Chicago, became recognized in the 90's, published one book, accepted teacher's position at Blackwell Academy…_

There was one interesting fact, though. Mark Jefferson had lived in Seattle from the late 90's to mid 2000's. He had been doing mostly freelance work as an entrepreneur. Jefferson had had an assistant, Joseph Adams, a photography student at the Seattle University. What was also interesting that around the same time as Jefferson had moved away from Seattle, Joseph Adams had vanished from the face of the Earth. There were absolutely no records of him anywhere after 2005.

"Finn, take a look at this!" Stacy asked her partner to come over.

Korhonen walked to Kowalski's desk and looked at the document. The document included a photo of Adams in his early 20's.

"What do you think?" Stacy asked. "Could he have been Jefferson's victim?"

"That's one possibility," Finn answered. "Or we could be looking at our copycat, or even both."

"If he's still alive, he seems to have gone completely under the radar," Kowalski remarked.

"I'll ask Jefferson tomorrow, when I question him," Finn said.

"Should we interview those two women, before your flight leaves?" Stacy asked.

"We should," Finn answered. "They seem to be living in the same address, so let's call one of them and ask if they both could come here."

* * *

The photo session with Ben Marney had just ended and Max was cleaning up the room. Marney had actually arrived even later than he had originally said, so Julia had had to reschedule another session to another day, which left the whole afternoon open. She had given Max the rest of the day off so that she could get her truck sorted out. After she was done cleaning, she was free.

As Max was putting the last items away, her phone chirped.

 **Victoria:** Yo, Maximus! U free?

 **Max:** Just about. U hungry?

 **Victoria:** Change of plans. We need to go to the East Precinct. Seattle's finest want to ask some questions.

 **Max:** What about?

 **Victoria:** No clue. Pick you up in 20?

 **Max:** Rgr.

Max walked back to her desk, wondering what the police might want to ask from them. Max hadn't been involved with the police since Chloe's shooting. She and Victoria had also been called in because of the empty files that Mark Jefferson had prepared of them. Max remembered Victoria being quite devastated after the truth about Jefferson came out. Her experience of the matter had of course been more first hand, not that she would ever be able to tell it to anyone.

Max packed her stuff and got dressed. She made a quick stop at Julia's door.

"I'm leaving for today. I need to go to visit the police station," she said to Julia.

"Has something happened?" Julia asked.

"No, they just want to ask some questions," Max assured her.

"Ok, see you on Monday, then!"

"Bye!"

* * *

Max and Victoria stepped inside the East Precinct building and went to the info desk.

"Hi, where could we find detective Korr-hou-nenn?" Victoria tried to pronounce the strange sounding name.

"Oh, Finn?" the clerk said. "Just a second, I'll call him. You can wait for him over there." He pointed at a bench.

They had barely sat down, when a man in his late fifties came to them.

"Ms. Caulfield and Chase?" he greeted them. "I am Detective Sergeant John Korhonen. Was it you I talked with on the phone?" He looked at Victoria.

"Yes, I'm Victoria Chase," Victoria answered. "This is my roommate Max Caulfield."

"That's an interesting name you have, detective," Max said to Finn.

"Yes, I'm of Finnish ancestry," Finn said. "My great-grandfather immigrated here in the late 1800's. Unlike many other Finnish immigrants, he chose to stick with his family name. – But if you'll follow me..." He led them in through the door.

They walked into a room, where there was a small table and four chairs. A woman was sitting on one of the chairs. She rose to greet them.

"Hello, I'm Detective Stacy Kowalski. Please, have a seat," she said and smiled. "Do you want something to drink? Coffee, water?"

"We're fine, thanks," Max and Victoria said almost simultaneously.

Everyone sat down. Kowalski turned a clean page on a notepad and took a pen. Finn cleared his throat.

"The reason, we called you in, is that you both were targeted victims of Mark Jefferson four years ago in Arcadia Bay." Finn paused for a moment to see both of the women nodding in consent. "Can you tell in your own words, what you recall of the incident?"

Max and Victoria turned to face each other briefly, before Victoria turned to face the two officers.

"I really have not much to tell," Victoria started. "Next day from the shooting, the police came to arrest Mark Jefferson. I was surprised and I couldn't understand why they would come to arrest him. Later, rumors started spreading that he'd been working together with Nathan to drug and photograph those girls." Victoria let out a deep breath. "Next week, Max and I were called in and they showed us the empty files with our names on them. It was a terrifying thought that we could've been his next victims."

"I'm sure it was," Finn said. "Luckily, they were caught before that. – What about you Ms. Caulfield?"

Max also let out a deep breath. "You probably know that I was in the girls' restroom, when Nathan Prescott shot Chloe Price, right?" she paused. "Chloe was my childhood friend, who I had not seen in five years and we never got a chance to reconnect before-, before she was killed." Max closed her eyes and Victoria put her hand on Max's shoulder.

"I was there to see, when Mr. Madsen, the security guard apprehended Nathan. Otherwise, it pretty much went the same way as Victoria described." _Except that it didn't. Both Victoria and I were caught and tied up. Victoria ended up dead and I almost_ _did_ _too._

"Why are digging into this old case after all these years? Victoria asked.

"Because-," Finn started. "-a young woman's body was discovered in an alley, near the campus area, and the M.O. appears to match Jefferson's."

Max gasped. "Are you saying that Jefferson is on the loose?"

"No, he is safely in the Oregon State Pen," Finn assured. "We're suspecting a copycat, possibly someone from the time Jefferson knew, when he was living in Seattle."

"Did Jefferson ever talk about his time here?" Kowalski asked.

"Nothing specific," Victoria answered.

"Not that I recall, no," Max said. _Except that he dealt with enough punk girls in his Seattle days,_ she thought.

"All right," Finn said. "If you could take a look at these pictures, in case you might be able to recognize the victim." He passed two photos, a face shot of the dead girl and the one that was found from the scene.

"I think I may have seen her in the image processing classes," Victoria said, when she had taken a look at the face shot. "I think her name is Gwen Purdeau."

Max had taken the other picture that was showing the victim drugged and tied up. Cold sweat rose on her forehead as the memories of herself lying on the floor, drugged and tied up while Jefferson was taking pictures of her, came back. She felt how her heart started pounding as she remembered how Jefferson in turn had taunted and raged at her. Then the unexpected happened, as the picture in her hands began to pulsate and she started to hear ambient sounds.

Max's face went completely pale and her stomach turned upside down. She dropped the picture and dashed up. "Excuse me, I need to..."

"Down the corridor, second door on the left," Kowalski said when she saw what was happening. Max rushed out of the room, covering her mouth with her palm.

Max barely made it to the restroom before all the contents of her stomach came out. She was leaning over the restroom sink, gagging and panting, when Victoria arrived.

"Max, what happened? Are you all right?" Victoria put her hands on her friend's shoulders.

Max turned to look at Victoria with watery eyes. _She has the right to know, doesn't she?_

"Look, I need to tell you something about the day Chloe was shot and what happened after but it'll have to wait until we get home," Max said with a quiet voice.

"Oh, okay," Victoria said slightly bemused but did not ask any more.

Victoria helped Max to freshen up her appearance and accompanied her back to the room, where Kowalski and Korhonen were waiting.

"I'm so sorry," Max apologized for her sudden pullout. "I suppose I still haven't got over my friend's death. The photo brought back some unpleasant memories."

"That's all right," Finn said. "I know that these photos can be unpleasant to view sometimes."

"I hope you don't mind me asking but can you tell us your whereabouts from last evening?" Finn raised his eyebrow in surprise, when he heard Kowalski ask the question. "It's standard procedure," Kowalski added.

"Oh, not at all," Victoria said. "I was on a date and returned around eleven. Max was already sleeping, when I got home."

"And you Ms. Caulfield?"

"I was home for the whole evening," Max answered.

"And no one can confirm that?"

"Well, no. I texted with my mother at some point but I was alone until Victoria returned."

"Very well," Kowalski said, closing her notebook, after she had written down the phone number of Victoria's date. "I think we're done for now."

"Here are our cards, in case you remember something," Finn said and passed his and Kowalski's card. "Thank you, ladies! I'll see you out."

Finn walked Max and Victoria to the front door and they stepped outside.

"Now, can you please tell me what that was all about?" Victoria said sternly. "I've never seen you freak out like that!"

"I will, but in the evening, when we're home," Max assured her friend.

"Very well," Victoria settled. "I need to go back to the office. I'll be home in a couple of hours."

"I'll take the bus home," Max said.

"Later, then," Victoria said and walked to her car.

* * *

Chloe was inside the apartment, when Max came home. She watched her friend to put her jacket and handbag away and walk to the living room window.

Chloe observed Max as the small brunette was gazing out the window. In the last few years, Max had developed into a beautiful young woman. She had let her hair grow slightly so that it landed on her shoulders. Max still dressed like a hipster but maybe slightly more grown up. She was still pretty natural, when it came to using make up, but she really didn't need it. She looked just about perfect.

 _Well, I guess I should get it over with,_ she thought as she closed Max. _It was hella amazing knowing you, Maximus._

Chloe phased into Max's body and got control of it. Chloe had done this hundreds of times before but now, when she was in Max, she raised her hand and looked at the back of her palm, like it was the first time.

Chloe walked slowly in front of a mirror and saw Max reflecting from it. She touched Max's cheek with her hand. For some reason, she felt like she was at some level connected to Max, to her soul and emotions. She could feel the hurting and grieve that the small brunette was going through.

"Oh Max," Chloe said out loud. "I wish could've been there for you."

She stepped away from the mirror and walked to the shelf, where the photo album was. She opened the album and took the picture of the butterfly in her hands. She held it but she wasn't able to tear it into pieces.

"No! You deserve closure, and so do I!" Chloe said out loud.

She put the picture back in the album and put the album back. She then walked back to the window and left Max's body.

The small brunette stood slightly bemused, like she had drifted away with her thoughts and suddenly woken.

Chloe watched Max, as she walked to the kitchen and wrote a note which she left on the kitchen desk. Max then put her jacket on, took her handbag and walked out of the door.

Chloe didn't follow her. She had other plans.

* * *

"I called the girls' dormitory at the campus," Stacy Kowalski said. "Gwen Purdeau hasn't been seen since the night before yesterday. The picture matches our victim."

"Well, at least she's no longer a Jane Doe," John Korhonen remarked.

"When's your flight departing?" Stacy asked Finn.

"In three hours," Finn answered.

"I can drop you off if you want to," Stacy offered. "I'll be working late so I thought I'd grab something to eat."

"Sure, thanks," Finn said. "One thing, though. Why'd you ask the women about their whereabouts? Do you think that one of them might be behind this?"

"Probably not," Kowalski answered. "There was just something about Max Caulfield's sudden reaction to the picture."

"What do you mean?" Finn asked.

"I have no firsthand experience but Max Caulfield's reaction was a textbook example of PTSD," Stacy answered. "I'm pretty sure she isn't the murderer but she's definitely not telling all she knows about the Jefferson case."

"Well, try to see if you can find something," Finn said. "Shall we?"

"Sure, let me grab my keys."

* * *

Victoria opened the door to their apartment.

"Max, I'm home!" Victoria shouted but no one answered. She walked into the kitchen and found a note on the desk.

 _Went to get groceries, be back soon. -M,_ read on the note.

Victoria put the note back on the table and walked into her room. She had had a hard time concentrating to work because of what Max had said. What could she possibly have on her mind about the Chloe's shooting and the following events that she needed to tell after all these years?

"Hello, Victoria," a woman's voice behind her back startled her.

"You." Victoria turned to look at Chloe's spirit, who was standing in the corner.

"Let's talk bidness."

**To be continued...**


	5. Still Into You

Max was standing behind the door of their apartment. She was holding a bag of groceries. She had had to get away from the apartment to clear her thoughts and to figure what to say to Victoria.

It was pretty obvious that she had to come clean about what had happened on that week that in this reality had not ever happened. What would Victoria think, when she told her about her time rewinding powers and those events? Would she think that Max has completely lost it, or would she just laugh at her? Even after all these years, Max had a lingering fear that the queen bee-atch would return and she didn't know if she could bear it.

 _Might as well face the music,_ Max sighed and turned the key in the lock. She stepped inside to see Victoria sitting on the living room couch. The blonde had her arms crossed and her expression was dead serious.

"Hey," Max said quietly.

"Hey yourself," Victoria answered almost as quietly.

Max put the bag of groceries on the desk and took out a smaller bag, containing a bottle of pinot noir.

Victoria let out a disapproving gaze but Max ignored that and took two wine glasses from the cabinet.

"I know what you think," Max said. "But for what I'm about to tell you, we both could use a drink."

Victoria looked down and sighed."You may be more right than you think. I also have something I need to tell you."

Max raised her brows but didn't say anything. She poured some wine in the glasses and gave the other one to Victoria. Max sat down next to her roommate and crossed her legs.

"It all started just moments before Chloe was shot..." Max began her story.

Max told Victoria everything about how she discovered her powers and how she was able to turn the course of events.

She told her how she had been able to save Chloe from certain death several times with her powers and how they had begun to look into Rachel Amber's disappearance.

She told how she had actually been able to create a completely alternative timeline, where Chloe had been paralyzed and how she had had to make the heartbreaking decision to help Chloe die.

She told how they had found out the truth about Rachel and how Mark Jefferson had captured both Max and Victoria. Victoria gasped, when Max told that Jefferson had killed her.

Finally she told the consequences that had come from using her powers and how, in order to save Arcadia Bay from destruction, she had had to sacrifice Chloe and undo everything.

Max turned to look at her friend and was surprised to see tears flowing on her cheeks.

Victoria wiped her tears and moved closer to close the small brunette in her embrace.

"Oh Max! I can't even imagine the burden of living with that kind of knowledge must've been." Victoria soothed her. "I'm glad that you told me."

"You don't think I've gone mad?" Max asked.

"No, Max," Victoria answered. "Well, it's partly because of what I'm about to tell you. In fact, what you just told me makes it easier." She emptied her glass and stood up. "We may need a refill."

Victoria filled both glasses and returned on the couch.

"You are not the only one with special gifts," Victoria started. "Ever since I was a kid, I've had the ability to see and talk to dead people."

Max's eyes opened wide, when she heard Victoria's words.

"Yeah, pretty amazing, I know," Victoria said. "I was actually bullied about it in school and my parents saw it best to send me to a pshrink, who prescribed me so heavy medication that I became emotionally numb. - That was, when the queen bee-atch was born." She looked down, when she finished the sentence.

"Long story short, I stopped seeing the spirits and life went on, - until you came into my life." Victoria turned took Max again.

"I had been off the medication for some time but it wasn't until you got me to face my fears and embrace the true me, before I started seeing spirits again."

"At first I was lost and I had no one to go to, to help me process it," Victoria continued. "I wanted so much to talk you about it but our friendship had just begun and I dared not to jeopardize that."

Max listened Victoria's story in awe, as she told how she had come in terms with her gift and make some use of it. Still, she couldn't be less prepared for what Victoria was about to say next.

"Chloe's spirit is here with us."

"What?" Max blurted and tried to look around her to no avail. "Victoria Maribeth Chase, I didn't open up for you so that you could make fun of it!" she said in a stern voice. "I swear to god…"

Victoria looked briefly to the middle of the living room. "When you broke into Blackwell, you told Chloe that you were so glad that she was your partner in crime, and she told you…"

"…as long as you're my partner in time," Max completed the sentence. She had not told Victoria that they had broken into Blackwell and the principal's office. She calmed down. "Chloe, is it really you?"

"Yes it is," Victoria relayed Chloe's words, before she realized what Chloe had said earlier. "You broke into Blackwell?!"

"As I said, we were trying to figure out what had happened to Rachel," Max said. "We wanted to take a look at the student records. – But that's not important right now. How is it possible that Chloe is here?"

"I saw her briefly yesterday evening, when you had already gone to sleep," Victoria answered. "When I came home today, she was waiting for me and we had a talk."

"She's been watching over you ever since she died," Victoria continued. "She's tried to keep you out of harm's way, whenever necessary but she has not been allowed to be in direct contact with you, until now. Apparently her time amongst the living is coming to an end, so she wanted to get in touch before her time is up."

"She didn't tell me anything about your time together. Just that I'd be open minded to what you might want to tell me."

"Wowser!" Max gasped. "This is totally amazeballs!" She felt weak.

Victoria turned her attention to the middle of the room. "Um, I suppose it's all right," she said and turned to face Max. "Chloe said that she can take over a living person's body. She asked if she could possess mine so that she could speak to you directly."

Victoria stood up. "Ok, I'm ready."

At first, nothing seemed to happen but suddenly Victoria's body jerked slightly. She still looked the same but her normally upright posture and subtle mannerisms became noticeably more laid back.

Max's eyes brightened as she images of the blue haired punk girl sporting that posture rushed into her mind.

"Chloe?"

"Yes, Max," Chloe said to her and extended her arms. "C'mere, you!"

Max leaped to her lost love and enclosed into Chloe's embrace. Their eyes met and Max placed her lips on Chloe's for a long, passionate kiss. On a conscious level she knew that it was Victoria she was kissing but in every other level she felt like Chloe.

"Chloe! It really is you!" Tears flowed as Max held Chloe tightly. "I've missed you so much!"

"I've missed you too, Super Max," Chloe gasped. "Dude, you're squeezing me so tightly that I can't breathe."

"Uh, sorry," Max eased up a bit. "I-, I don't know what to say," Max said. "This is so unbelievable!"

"Pretty hella amazeballs, ain't it," Chloe concurred.

"I mean, I never could've hoped that I'd ever see you again," Max finally let go of her friend and lead her to the couch. "How is this possible?"

"Well, I can't tell you all but, when I died, I came around on this flowery meadow which was straight out of Windows XP desktop," Chloe began her story. "It's supposed to be a representation of some memory or event of mine, but I've never used XP."

Max grinned, when she heard Chloe's words. "You don't remember, do you?"

"What?"

"We had a bet," Max said. "You insisted that the XP background was hand painted and I said it was a photo." Max's grin became even wider. "I won. You had to call me 'your well of wisdom and enlightenment' for a whole week."

Chloe smirked. "Well that's why I don't remember it. Only you can come up with such a dork title."

"Is that so, Miss 'you have to call me my everlasting chalet of fortitude and dare'?"

Chloe smiled. "Those were good times."

"So you ended up in purgatory?" Max asked.

"Of sorts," Chloe said. "I met Rachel there." She closed her eyes.

Max took Chloe's hand. "We found out what had happened to her, when Nathan confessed everything. We had her memorial soon after yours."

"Rachel told me that it wasn't my time to cross over yet," Chloe said. "She also showed me what had happened during that week, when we were together."

"So you have been watching over me all these years?" Max asked.

"I was appointed as your guardian angel," Chloe answered. "Even though I wasn't allowed to be in contact with you, I could still keep you safe."

"But now your time here is coming to an end?"

"I've fulfilled my duty and my time has come to cross over." Chloe's heart broke, when she had to lie to Max but she wasn't in liberty to tell her the real term of fulfilling her duty.

"Well, I'm glad I got to see you once more," Max said.

"Me too, Maximus, me too," Chloe said. That wasn't exactly true either, as she wasn't supposed to make contact with Max under any circumstances. _Well, screw that,_ she thought.

"Victoria told me that you were at the precinct today," Chloe changed the subject. "What was that about?"

"There's a killer on the loose here in Seattle that likes to drug people and take photos of them like that bastard, Jefferson," Max explained.

"A copycat?"

"That's what the police think. They asked, if Jefferson had told us anything about his time in Seattle." Max grasped her upper arm. "He had told us nothing. - Well, nothing that could be told, at least."

"So they think it might be someone he knew in his Seattle years?"

"Yeah, which reminds me that I need to tell you something."

"What is it, Max?"

"I thought I had lost my time rewinding powers for good after-, after what went down that day." The small brunette looked to the floor. "And I no longer can rewind time, but yesterday I found out that I'm still able to focus on pictures."

"You mean you can still travel into pictures and change the course of time?" Chloe of course already knew all of that, but since Max had not yet brought up the subject of being followed all the time, Chloe saw it best not to make the initiative.

"Yes, but until now I've thought I can only focus on pictures I've taken or been in," Max said. "Today at the police station I unexpectedly began to focus on the picture that was left where the body of the victim was found."

"I can sense that this is leading to somewhere," Chloe said, unsure what to think of this new revelation.

"If I went into that picture, I could see who the killer is and we could tip off the police," Max said almost enthusiastically.

Chloe wasn't as excited about this as the small brunette. "I'm not sure that it is a good idea, Max," she objected. "First of all, since you're not originally in that picture, who knows, what may happen? You could end up being the victim, or worse yet, the killer, and since you wouldn't know what to do, you'd end up changing the course of history. - And we know where that might lead."

"Um, I really hadn't thought of that," Max admitted.

"How you can be sure you'll ever get out as you never were part of that event?" Chloe continued.

"Well, on the other hand, I didn't know what would happen, when I first jumped into the picture of us," Max argued. "If there's a slightest chance we can prevent the killer from killing again, I'm willing to take that chance!"

Chloe sighed. "I suppose I can't talk you out of this. - But there is one thing. If you're going in, as much as you wanted to, you can't interfere in any way." Chloe's voice was adamant. "You can't save that girl!"

Max gave a defiant look at Chloe but she conceded. "Very well."

"Do you have that picture?" Chloe asked.

"No," Max said. "That's where we could actually use your special abilities," the brunette grinned. "You'd better release Victoria; we should fill her in too."

* * *

 _Now, how did I let myself to be talked into this,_ Chloe asked herself, as she was standing behind Stacy Kowalski's back at the East Precinct.

The detective was sitting at her desk and going through files on her computer. Max had asked Chloe to go to the police station and try to get the picture and any other information she could find related to the case. Chloe had not been very enthusiastic about this either but she had relented, when Max had said: "Let's be Blackwell ninjas one more time."

 _Might be a good idea to get her user id and password,_ Chloe thought and took over Kowalski's body. _Here goes._ Chloe locked the computer and left Kowalski's body.

Stacy Kowalski looked at her computer dumbfounded. "How did that get locked?" Kowalski pressed ctrl-alt-del and typed 'D3r3kM0rgan15H0t' into the password field.

 _Mmm-kay, now I can't get that image out of my head,_ Chloe thought as she read Kowalski's user id and watched her type the password. _Time to get to work._ Chloe took over Kowalski again.

 _Now, let's see what we have here,_ Chloe thought as she was going through the files related to the case.

She found Jefferson's file. His Seattle years and his assistant, Joseph Adams was highlighted. There was also a picture of him and a note that he'd gone missing around the same time Jefferson left Seattle.

Then Chloe noticed that Kowalski had Max's school record from Blackwell open. _Why is she looking into Max? Does she really think Max has something to do with this?_

 _But where is that picture? The original is probably in the evidence but I bet she has a copy somewhere,_ Chloe thought as she began to go through the files on the computer.

 _Ok, here it is._ Chloe opened the file. _Now, how can I get it to Max and Victoria?_

She couldn't simply just email it, because the mail traffic was probably monitored. She looked into Kowalski's handbag and found her personal phone. _That might work._

 _Luckily this thing has a fingerprint lock,_ Chloe thought as she swiped Kowalski's thumb on the sensor. The phone opened. Chloe turned on the camera and took picture of the picture on the computer screen. She then opened the messaging app, attached the picture into the message and sent it to Max. Finally, she erased both the picture and the message.

* * *

Back at Max's and Victoria's apartment, Chloe watched over as Max and Victoria were examining the picture on Max's phone.

"So how does this work?" Victoria asked. "You just focus on the picture and get sucked into it?"

"More or less," Max answered. "I actually don't know what happens on this time, when I am in the time and place of the picture. I do know, however, that if I change the course of history, I don't have any memories of the changed timeline's me from the point of the picture to the point, where I return."

Victoria looked over her shoulder. "Chloe here tells not to…"

"…fuck up the timeline, check," Max affirmed.

"Be careful, Max," Victoria said and put her hand on the freckled brunette's shoulder. "That's from the both of us."

"I will," Max smiled. She placed the phone directly in front of her and focused. First, nothing seemed to happen, but eventually the picture started pulsating and she began to hear ambient noises. She kept her focus on the picture and all of a sudden her surroundings changed.

Max looked around. She appeared to be in a studio decorated in a similar fashion as the dark room of Mark Jefferson was. A figure was lying in front of a whitewall, who Max recognized to be Gwen Purdeau. She was tied on the floor as she was in the picture and appeared to be under the influence of some sedative. She didn't seem to notice Max's presence.

 _If she's lying there and I'm here, does this mean that..._ An opening door interrupted her thoughts.

"Darling, I hope you're resting comfortably. We'll continue our session in a moment," Max heard a voice behind her say.

Even if Max immediately recognized the voice, she couldn't be less shocked, when she turned around to face her boss, Julia Bennett.

**To be continued...**


	6. (Don't Fear) The Reaper

Max gasped as her boss, Julia Bennett entered the studio, where she was holding the girl in the picture, Gwen Purdeau captive. Max was directly facing her but she didn't seem to notice the freckled brunette. Instead, she walked right through Max's body to one of the cameras on the nearby table.

It took a moment for Max to get over the shocking revelation, before she even realized that neither of the women could see her. She tried touching a reflector post only to see her hand going right through it. _They can't see me! I'm-, I'm a ghost, like Chloe,_ she thought.

 _What is this place?_ Max tried to look around. There were no windows in the room and through the doorway she could see only brightness, which meant that whatever was beyond that door wasn't within the boundary of the picture.

She looked again at her surroundings. There was something familiar about the texture of the wall plastering. Then she could make out the music that was playing in the other room. It was a Joni Mitchell song. Max's eyes opened as the realization hit her. _This is Julia's loft!_

Julia was living in Capitol Hill like Max and Victoria. Her loft was about a fifteen minute drive from their apartment. Max had visited Julia's place on a few occasions due to her job as her assistant and on almost every visit Julia had had Joni Mitchell playing on her audio system. Max could've never imagined that the stylish apartment could hide such a dark secret.

Max turned to look at Julia, who was wearing vinyl gloves and was filling a syringe. The thought of betrayal and disappointment, combined with her own horrifying experiences in the hands of Mark Jefferson made her blood boil.

"Leave her alone, you bitch!" Max raged and tried to hit Julia with all her might but all her bursts of anger went unnoticed. All Max could do, was to watch powerless, as Julia injected the final dose into her victim.

"Excellent!" Julia said to her now unconscious victim. "Now for the grand finale!" She took her camera and took the picture that would be later found with Gwen's body.

Max clenched her fists in tears as everything faded in white.

* * *

"How long has it been?" Chloe asked Victoria, as they watched Max sitting on the couch and staring the photo in a trance-like state.

"A little over ten minutes," Victoria answered with concern. "Do you think we should...?" She was interrupted as the freckled brunette suddenly gasped and came to her senses.

"Max! You're back!" Victoria said and went to her. "Are you all right?"

Max dropped her cell phone on the floor and stared in front of her. "No, I'm not all right."

"Did you find out who the killer was?"

"It was..." Max let out a deep sigh and buried her face into her palms. "...Julia."

"Julia?" Victoria gasped. "You mean...?"

"Julia Bennett, my boss," Max said before she burst into tears.

"Oh my god, Max!" Victoria sat down next to the brunette and put her hand on her shoulder, trying to avoid the blue-haired ghost's stern look. "What happened?"

Max wiped the tears from her cheeks. "Unlike in the pictures I've taken, I arrived a few moments before the picture was taken." She closed her eyes. "I was like a ghost. Neither Gwen nor Julia could see or hear me. I couldn't do anything but watch as Julia-, as she..." Max burst into tears again.

"When Julia took that picture that's on my phone, I returned back here," Max finally said, sobbing.

"I'm so sorry for you, Max," Victoria squeezed her friend.

"Is Chloe..."

"I'm right here, Max," Chloe assured with Victoria's assistance.

"Am I doomed to end up having killer psychopaths as mentors?" Max asked. "It feels like I'm cursed!"

Victoria was going to say something but Max stood up all of a sudden and walked to her room, closing the door behind her. Victoria and Chloe exchanged a disconcerted glance.

"You should probably go after her," Chloe said.

"No, I think she needs you right now," Victoria responded.

"You mean..." Chloe asked, slightly surprised about the offer.

"Yes," Victoria said. "And by that I mean, whatever you guys want to do together, you have my consent."

"Are you sure?" Chloe's expression became even more surprised upon realizing the true meaning of the words. "I know, what she means to you, even though Max seems to have a hard time seeing it."

"I'm sure," Victoria said and looked into distance. "Maybe Max will be then finally able to move forward and I would have a fighting chance."

"Thank you, Victoria. I appreciate it, I really do," Chloe said.

"Yeah, but have one condition, though," Victoria said sternly. "I don't want to hear any details, ever, and if I come to with a blue hair, I'm calling a fucking exorcist!"

"I promise, scout's honor," Chloe assured, grinning.

"Now, let's do this before I start to regret it!"

* * *

Max was sitting on her bed, her arms around her knees, sobbing silently. She felt inconsolable and betrayed. Max had always held Julia Bennett in high regard and felt that Julia appreciated her talent and hard work. On the other hand, she had also held Mark Jefferson in high regard and that had almost resulted in hers and Victoria's death.

 _Am I destined to be a pawn that can be used and disposed of, when I've outlived my purpose?_ She took another tissue to dry her eyes and to blow her nose. She had walked out on Chloe and Victoria because she had wanted to be alone but now she was beginning to feel that she could use some company.

As a response to her thoughts, the door opened and Max saw Victoria step in.

"Vic?" Max asked?

"Close but not quite, my well of wisdom and enlightenment," the answer came out with a different accent than Victoria's.

"Chloe!"

"The one and only," Chloe confirmed. "Victoria thought you might prefer my company over hers right now."

"That's so kind of her," Max said. "She is a much better and caring friend that I give her credit for. Sometimes I wonder why she chooses to stick with me."

"Maybe you should ask her some time," Chloe said and sat down next to Max. She took the small brunette under her arm.

Max just sat quietly in Chloe's embrace for a while, before she opened her mouth. "I still can't believe that it was Julia all along," she started. "I've been to her place so many times and not once have I suspected that it conceals that horrible room. I feel such a fool."

"I can totally relate to that feeling," Chloe said. "I've felt betrayed and let down by so many people that I've lost count."

"Present company included," Max said quietly.

"I-, yes, I did feel betrayed by you too," Chloe admitted. "But you came back and really helped me to see the good in people. – What I'm trying to say is that in life, you can't avoid being let down by people, but that doesn't mean you should lose faith in all of them." Chloe looked away from Max. "I did and look where it got me."

"Still, I can't feel how unlucky I am in choosing the people, from whom I seek guidance from," Max said. "I feel, – used."

"Max, you're the kindest and most caring person I've ever known," Chloe turned to Max again. "Don't you ever let anyone take that away from you! – I am fortunate to have been given back that week that we shared together and grateful of all the years I've got to watch you to become the person you are now."

Chloe stood up and drew Max in front of her. "I am hella proud of you, Max Caulfield and I love you."

"I love you too, Chloe." Max smiled and looked straight into Chloe's eyes.

Chloe wiped the last drop of tear from Max's cheek and gently leaned forward to kiss her. The salty sweetness of Max's lips felt exactly the same as it had felt four years ago. She felt how Max responded to the kiss and let the tip of her tongue explore the back of Chloe's lips.

Chloe took one step back and took her shirt off, making the small brunette blush slightly.

"What about Vic-," Max started but Chloe placed her fingers on Max's mouth.

"Shh," Chloe hushed. "Victoria's all right with this." She gently put her hands on Max's waist and slowly took her shirt off. She kissed Max again and gently laid her down on her bed. Chloe removed rest of Max's clothing and then her own and settled down next to Max.

* * *

The first light of morning found Max cuddled in her bed. She felt the warmth of her roommate's body curled around her. Max turned her head and watched the sleeping blonde, wondering, if it still was Chloe, who was in the helms.

"Chloe?" Max whispered.

"Mmhwhaatt? Lemme sleep. Haven't slept in four years," Chloe mumbled back.

Max set her head back on the pillow and smiled. She felt happy, happier than she had felt for a long time.

Last night had been wonderful. Max was by no means a virgin at this age but her sexual experience consisted solely from one night relationships, which really had no emotional attachment.

With Chloe, everything was different. When they had made love, they had connected on a completely different level. Chloe also seemed to have a phenomenal knack of knowing what made Max tick, so she had been able to push the brunette to her sensual limits and beyond. On her part, Max wasn't quite as experienced but Chloe had nevertheless seemed to genuinely enjoy her expressions of love and pleasure.

"Y'know," Max murmured. "Had I know you were this good, I had been very tempted to choose you over Arcadia Bay."

"Based on last night, I would've been tempted to concur," Chloe murmured back and leaned to place a kiss on Max's lips.

"Funny though, how all this happened on the anniversary of our goodbyes," Max thought out loud, while gazing into Chloe's eyes. "Speaking of which, I didn't tell you what picture it was, when I rediscovered my powers, did I?"

"Um, no," Chloe said, slightly reserved.

"Let me show you," Max said and slipped out of bed before Chloe could stop her.

Max walked to the living room, took the photo album from the shelf and opened it from a certain page, only to find the place reserved for the butterfly picture empty. _What the…_ she thought as she flipped through pages to find the picture hastily tucked into one sleeve.

Max took the picture into her hands and looked at it more closely. There was crease, maybe a hint of tear in the upper edge. She had thought about tearing the picture apart but she had never actually carried out that thought. And she was sure that she had put the picture where it belonged.

 _But if I haven't done it…_ Max thought, before the realization struck her mind, followed by a shock. Growing with anger, Max turned towards her room to see an upset Chloe standing at the door.

"Look, Max, I can explain…" Chloe tried to say.

"How could you?!" Max's eyes narrowed. "You had no right!"

"I had no right?" Chloe started to became irritated. "Look who's talking, Miss 'uh oh, this conversation didn't go too well, let's rewind to make it better'!"

"It's not the same thing!" Max retorted.

"Oh yes it is!" Chloe yelled. "Just look how many times you've used your powers to turn a conversation to your favor! – And trust me, I've seen all the outcomes!"

"So this is why your time here is coming to an end," Max said anger in her voice. "You were not sent here as my guardian angel. You were the contingency plan in case I might try to use the picture again." Max threw the photo album to Chloe's feet. "You should've just destroyed the fucking picture first thing!"

"Yeah, maybe I should've!" Chloe raged at her. "Maybe you would've then had the common sense to move on instead of being clung on to me. You can't even see from your grief how deeply Victoria is in love with you and how much she is hurting because you're too busy wallowing in self-pity."

Max's eyes opened slightly about the revelation but then they narrowed again. "Get out! Leave!"

"Just watch me!" Those were Chloe's final words.

Max fell on her knees on the floor and burst into tears, as Victoria regained the control of her body.

Victoria blinked in confusion before she realized she was standing half-naked in their living room. "Okay, too much information! I specifically told…" she cut off her sentence, when she saw her roommate crying on the floor.

"Max! What happened?" Victoria leaned over the crying brunette.

"Chloe and I had a fall out and she left," Max sobbed.

"A fall out? Over what?" Victoria asked.

"It-, it turned out she had an ulterior agenda over the one being my guardian angel." Max pointed at the picture on the floor. "Sh-, she was to destroy the picture, if I ever tried to focus on it."

Victoria did her best to sooth her trembling roommate. "Then what happened?"

"I found out that that she had taken over my body and actually tried to destroy the picture," Max managed to say from all the sobbing. "I felt betrayed and lashed out on her, and Chloe, - let's just say that forbearance isn't one of her virtues."

Victoria looked at the picture. "Well, she obviously chose not to destroy it," she said. "I can think at least one good reason why."

"I overreacted, didn't I?" Max wiped tears from her face. "She wanted to explain and I drove her off. I'm such a jerk."

"Yeah, on occasions," Victoria said, smiling. "Sometimes you make a mountain out of a molehill, but that's one of the traits why I care so much about you."

Victoria's last remark didn't make Max feel any better. Remembering Chloe's words Max reckoned that her roommate had wanted to use a completely different word than 'care' to express her feelings towards her. Alas, this wasn't the time or place to go down that road.

"Thank you, Victoria, for being such a good friend!" Max said and gave the blonde a hug.

"I'm sure Chloe will come back when she has had time to cool off," Victoria assured her.

"I hope so." Max stood up. "But in the meantime, I need to find the connection between Julia and Mark Jefferson."

* * *

Detective John Korhonen parked his car in the visitor parking area of the Oregon State Penitentiary. He stepped out of the car and walked inside the prison facility.

Finn had flown to Salem yesterday evening. He had arranged a visit to Mark Jefferson for this morning, hoping to catch an afternoon flight back to Seattle. He hoped that the visit would give some clue about Jefferson's former assistant, Joseph Adams' whereabouts.

He filled in the visitor's form and put his personal belongings on the tray. He had left his sidearm in Seattle as getting it on a plane would've required just too much effort for the benefit.

Finn stepped into a room reserved for inmates meeting their attorneys or officials. There was a single table and two chairs on each side of the table. A one way window was on one of the walls and a security camera was in one corner with a red light indicating it was recording.

Finn sat down on the other side of the table. He put a manila envelope that he had brought with him on the wooden surface.

The door on the other side of the room opened and Mark Jefferson stepped in, escorted by a prison guard. He was seated on the other side of the table and secured.

Finn looked at the former professor of photography. His appearance had changed somewhat from his Blackwell days. His hair was longer and more messed up. His previously nicely trimmed beard was longer and scruffier. His glasses held together with tape and some healing bruises on his face told that he had suffered physical abuse, which wasn't too uncommon for sexual predators like him.

Mark Jefferson watched Finn with an indifferent expression and made no gesture to start the conversation.

"Mr. Jefferson, I am Detective Sergeant John Korhonen of the Seattle Police Department," Finn started.

"You've come a long way to see me, detective," Jefferson said. "What do I owe the pleasure?"

Finn opened the envelope, took the picture of Gwen Purdeau and put it in front of Jefferson.

Jefferson cast a quick glance at the picture. "Looks like a cheap imitation of my work," he said.

"Her name is Gwen Purdeau," Finn said. "She was found dead in Seattle the night before."

"Not guilty," Jefferson smirked. "I spent the whole night in my cell. You can ask my cellmate."

Finn let Jefferson's sarcasm slide. "I'm here to discuss about your assistant during your Seattle years, Joseph Adams," Finn said sternly. "He went missing around the same time you left Seattle."

Jefferson smirked again. "If you're trying to imply I had something to do with his disappearance, I'm going to disappoint you."

"He is alive, then?" Finn asked.

"Oh, he is very much alive, I can assure you," Jefferson laughed at the detective.

"And..."

Jefferson pushed the picture back to Finn. "As you probably know, prison life isn't easy for men like me." He looked Finn straight in the eyes. "So, in exchange for what I know about Adams, what can you offer me that would make my life easier?"

"I have no authority to make any kind of offers to you." Finn scowled.

"I know that but I'd suggest that you get the district attorney of Salem on the phone and put in a good word for me," Jefferson said to Finn. "Otherwise, we're done here."

Finn glared at Jefferson, who was smiling smugly. He would've wanted to beat the crap out of him but instead he stood up.

"Very well, I'll call the D.A. but I can't make any promises."

* * *

Chloe sat at detective Kowalski's computer again, trying to find a connection between Julia Bennett and Mark Jefferson.

She was angry, somewhat at Max but mostly at herself. She had let her hot temper to take the best of her, when Max had, somewhat rightfully, burst at her.

 _Of course she would feel betrayed, after having to watch someone she appreciated and looked up to, taking someone's life!_ Chloe scolded herself.

 _Well, maybe it's for the best to let things settle down a bit,_ she thought as she was doing searches on Kowalski's computer. She had come to the precinct right after her fight with Max and taken over Kowalski's body.

Chloe kept on searching but absolutely nothing seemed to link Julia Bennett to Mark Jefferson. She hit the keyboard in frustration.

"You okay there, Kowalski?" An officer asked behind the partition.

"Uh, yeah, sure," Chloe stammered. "Just the damn computer hiccupping."

"You show that thing who is boss!"

"Yeah, I think it's working now," Chloe said and sighed in relief. _Gotta remember to keep a low profile._

She looked at Julia Bennett's records again and found a curiosity. None of the records seemed to predate 2007. Another curiosity was that according to her Facebook page, she had a Master of Arts degree from the Seattle University but the university records told her that no-one by the name of Julia Bennett had ever graduated from there.

_Now what the fuck is going on here…_

* * *

Max was standing outside of Julia's loft, waiting for her to leave. As her personal assistant, Max had access to Julia's schedule and also the keys to her apartment.

According to the schedule, Julia was supposed to have lunch with a prospective client. In addition to the work for the La Vida, Julia did commissions to companies and private customers.

Max saw the garage door open and Julia's Tesla to pull out. As soon as the car had disappeared behind the corner, Max ran into the building and to Julia's door. She took a key out of her bag and inserted it to the lock. She stepped inside and heard a beeping sound coming from the alarm system console. Luckily, Max also knew the security code, which she typed into the console. The red light turned to green and the beeping stopped.

Max stepped from the hall into the spacious living room. It was sparsely furnished, save for a small table and two sofas on both sides, an entertainment system on one side of the room and a bookcase on the opposite side. A few prints and paintings were hanging from the wall. Stairs lead upstairs to the platform that acted as bedroom.

 _The entrance to the studio must be in here,_ Max thought when she was looking around in the living room. She walked to the bookcase and started looking behind the books in search of a hidden switch. She took a book after another out of its place but couldn't find anything.

 _This is hopeless,_ Max thought, when she put the umpteenth book back in its place. Just as she pulled another book, she heard a click and a portion of the bookcase slid inwards. _Bingo!_ She pushed the portion in and stepped into a small corridor that led into a room. The room was the studio from the photo. Shivers ran through Max's back, when she thought back of the horrible event that had taken place here.

_Okay, let's see if I can find anything that connects you to Mark Jefferson…_

* * *

John Korhonen returned to the visiting room after having had a long conversation on the phone with the district attorney of Salem. Mark Jefferson was still waiting in the room.

"Okay, here's the deal." Finn sat down. "I talked with D.A. Clark and he sanctified me to offer you the following: If your testimony leads us to Adams and we are able to apprehend him, you'll be transferred to a lower security wing. That's the deal, take it or leave it."

Jefferson sat down quietly for a moment as if he had considered the offer, then he looked at the detective sitting opposite to him. "All right, I'll take it."

Mark Jefferson leaned backwards on his chair as much as the chains allowed him.

"The reason why there aren't any records of Joseph Adams after 2005 is because he went abroad that year," he said.

"Do you mean that he never returned?" Finn asked.

"Yes and no." Jefferson smiled wryly.

* * *

 _This doesn't make any sense at all,_ Chloe thought. _A person of Julia's age should have records older than 2007._

Chloe moved the record windows on the screen, until she again came across with the highlighted marking of Joseph Adams on Mark Jefferson's file. She typed in Joseph Adams' name on the search field. His records were opened and Chloe started looking at them. _Ok, so he's been Jeffershit's assistant. Otherwise, nothing peculiar, - except..._

Chloe remembered that Joseph Adams had disappeared, when Jefferson had left Seattle and the records seemed to confirm that as there were no markings after 2005.

 _So we have one person that has gone missing since 2005 and another one that practically hasn't existed before 2007..._ Chloe thought as she was looking at the screen. Then it hit her.

_No fucking way!_

* * *

Max went frantically through the items in the hidden studio. She found a shelf full of files, just like there had been in Mark Jefferson's dark room. There was Gwen's file, which was full of pictures taken of her in her helpless state. Max put the file away in disgust. There were also empty files. Some of them had first names of girls on them but most were blank.

 _So she's not planning to stop at one,_ Max thought as she looked at the names. _Hopefully the police can find out who those girls are._

Max pulled open a drawer. It contained another file. _Why is this separated from the others?_ Max pulled it out. It looked older than the others. The back had 'Joseph' written on it. _What the hell?_

Max opened the file. It contained pictures of a young man that was tied and sedated. _These have been taken by Jefferson. I'd recognize his work anywhere._

Max turned another page on the file. There was a clipped newsarticle about Mark Jefferson. The article included a picture of Jefferson with his assistant Joseph Adams. It was the same young man as in the other pictures.

 _Now, why does Julia have this..._ Max gasped, when the realization struck her mind.

_Julia Bennett is Joseph Adams!_

Max was so buried in her thoughts that she didn't notice, when someone sneaked behind her and put a damp rag on her mouth. She gasped again and tried to turn but her legs went limp and everything turned black.

* * *

 _Julia Bennett is Joseph Adams!_ Chloe looked at the screen. _She must've gone through hella surgery. Wait til Max hears about this._

Chloe leaned back on the chair, when a sudden sensation hit her. _Max, she's in danger!_

Chloe left detective Kowalski's body, only to find herself back in the flowery meadow where she started.

"What?! Fuck! No, no, no!" Chloe screamed into the desolation.

* * *

 _What happened?_ Max thought, when she slowly regained consciousness. Her head felt mushy.

She opened her eyes. She was lying on the floor of Julia's studio. She tried to move her arms, only to find out that her wrists were bound with a cable tie.

"Ah, you've waken up," she heard a voice say. "I do apologize for the nauseous feeling that the chloroform might cause." Julia Bennett walked in front of her.

"You, you..." Max said with a croggy voice.

"Yes, I see you found out my little secret, - and my little lair," Julia said to her. "Which, I might add, you wouldn't have found, if I hadn't let you in." Max's eyes opened in surprise.

"See, I do trust you with my keys and the security code, but I don't trust you that much that I would let you snoop around in my home without being watched." Julia walked to the desk.

"You see, the security code, _your_ security code, activates the surveillance cameras in the apartment and send live feed directly to my phone," Julia said, showing the recording of Max going through the apartment on her phone.

"When I saw you at the bookcase, it was pretty obvious what you were looking for, so I opened the door for you remotely."

Julia walked back to Max, holding a small caliber pistol.

"It's a shame, though. I had such great plans for you," Julia said to Max to see the horror in her eyes. "Now you have to be the guinea pig for my next experiment." She kneeled over the tied brunette.

"I've spent a great amount of time to study human anatomy, so I know exactly, where to shoot so that the victim can endure an hour, maybe even two but will eventually bleed to death. - And I get to record the whole event."

"You'll never get away with this!" Max said, trying to sound defiant.

"Maybe so, but unfortunately you won't be around to see it," Julia said with, smiling wryly. "Now, hold still..." She pressed the gun against Max's abdomen and pulled the trigger.

The sound of the gun wasn't loud, more like a crack. Max felt a small twitch inside her. Save for the slight sting, when the bullet pierced her abdomen, there was actually not that much pain. Or maybe she was already going into a shock.

"There," Julia said, standing up. "Now let's begin, shall we?"

_Chloe, where are you? Please help!_

**To be continued...**


	7. Doubleback

"All right, Max darling, give me your best fading pose!" Julia aimed her camera at the brunette, who was slowly bleeding to death.

"Wh-, why are you doing this?" Max asked her killer. She still wasn't feeling any pain, just a warm sensation in her abdomen.

"Why, the simplest of reasons of course, - vengeance." Julia put her camera down.

"But I..." Max started, before Julia cut her off.

"Don't flatter yourself, my dear," she said. "You're merely a pawn of my vengeance to Mark Jefferson."

Max closed her eyes. _With all my powers, I'm just a pawn in the grand scheme of things. Nothing I do makes a difference._

"Did you know I was Mark's first?" Julia said to Max as she took her camera again. "That was, of course, before I had my revolutionary change in life."

"Back then Mark was quite open-minded for all kinds of experiences," Julia said as she took a couple of more shots. "There, now, perfect!"

"I was in love with him," Julia said a touch of sadness in her voice. "He wasn't the reason I decided to become a woman, though. Ever since my early teens I had felt I was in a wrong body."

Max listened to all this, while she started to feel a bit light-headed. She was wondering how much more time she had.

_Chloe, I'm so sorry I lashed at you. Please come and rescue me!_

* * *

"No, no! You fucking sumbitches, send me back!" Chloe raged in the desolate meadow. "Max is in danger! I need to be with her!"

She had just sensed Max's distress, when she had been pulled back into her personal purgatory.

"I swear to god...!" Chloe yelled, when Rachel suddenly appeared in front of her.

"Chloe," she said to the blue haired spirit.

"Rachel, I need to go back!" Chloe said frantically. "Max is in danger! I have to..." Rachel cut her off.

"Yes, we are aware of Max's situation," Rachel said. "However, since you broke the terms of our agreement, you were pulled back." She kneeled to pick a flower. "We let the nature take its course. With Max's death, the issue of her tampering the timeline goes away."

Chloe couldn't believe her ears. "So everything you care is your precious timeline? All for the greater good and the end justifies the means?"

"If you want to put it that way," Rachel said.

"Who the fuck are you?" Chloe's blood began to boil. "Because you sure as hell ain't Rachel!"

Rachel looked at Chloe fiercely for a moment. Suddenly her form began to change and she turned into a dark haired, more elderly woman.

"You are correct, I am not Rachel," the woman said. "My name is Sara."

* * *

"So you and Joseph Adams had a relationship that wasn't just professional?" Detective John Korhonen asked Mark Jefferson.

"Well, on my behalf it was merely self-exploration, but I suppose Joe thought more about it." Jefferson shrugged his shoulders.

"Did you know about his transsexuality?" Finn asked.

"Sure. He was quite open about it, and I didn't mind," Jefferson answered. "Quite the opposite, in fact. I tried to be as supportive as possible." He took his glasses off and blinked his eyes. "Joe didn't realize or didn't want to realize that I had already planned to move on."

"So his decision to go through with the operation didn't affect your decision to break up with him?"

"In retrospective, maybe a little." Jefferson put his glasses back on. "Back then, I just felt that I had got bored with him and wanted something different."

"So he went abroad to have the operation done and couple of years later returned as Julia Bennett?"

"That pretty much sums it up," Mark Jefferson said.

"Did he-, she try contact you after she returned to the States?" Finn asked.

"I did get a letter from Julia soon after her return but I never answered. I had been well established in the photography circles by then." Jefferson looked at the ceiling. "I didn't need any complications in my life."

"Did you follow her career, though?"

"It was hard not to, and I was genuinely happy that she managed to make herself known."

Finn looked at his watch. He'd need to call Kowalski soon.

* * *

Max was beginning to feel the iron taste in her mouth. Julia kept on photographing her, while a camcorder recorded every second of her slow trail away.

"You know," Julia said to her. "It wasn't my initial intention to go down this road." She put her camera away again. "I mean, I had managed to make name for myself and I had a successful career." Julia turned to face the freckled brunette

"When I saw in the news that Mark had been arrested and what he had been up to, all the hurt and anger just resurfaced and it wouldn't go away," Julia continued. "Then an opportunity came to settle the score, - you, my dear Maxine."

"What?" Max gasped.

"When I saw your work at the Everyday Heroes contest, and that you were from Blackwell, I was sure that Mark had had his eye on you." Julia took the camera again. "Therefore you became my instrument of vengeance."

 _Oh my god! She's insane!_ Max thought as Julia took another set of pictures.

* * *

Chloe had to use all her willpower not to beat the crap out of the woman standing opposite to her. She clenched her fists and looked angrily at her.

"Why?" she asked. "Why did you choose me?"

"Quite simple," Sara answered. "You were her soul mate. You could be easily persuaded to watch over her." Chloe frowned on the annotation.

"Then why did you have to let her pine so long? Why couldn't I just do it first thing so that Max would've been able to move on?"

"That wasn't the intention," Sara answered. "But for some reason, all of Max's grief and guilt seems to embody into that picture. In retrospective, maybe it would've been for the best to get rid of it in the beginning."

"Please let me go back!" Chloe pleaded. "Please let me do right by Max! You owe me that much!"

Sara gave a stern look at Chloe but then she sighed deep. "Very well, you can go back and try to save your friend, but that picture has to go first hand!"

"Scout's honor!" Chloe said and put her hand on her chest, while holding the fingers of the other crossed behind her back.

* * *

Max started to feel a bit dizzy. She felt that the end was near. Julia took some more photos and seemed to like what she saw.

"I kept a close eye on you after you graduated, Max," she said to the brunette, who was beginning to look pale. "I couldn't believe my luck, when you came to Seattle. – Of course I would've come to you, wherever you went."

"S-, so you mean that the internship was just a scheme to get to me?" Max asked.

"I had different plans for you," Julia admitted. "I was going to take you under my wing, make you my partner in crime." That remark make Max shudder in disgust. "Obviously, that's not going to happen now."

"Why'd you kill Gwen?"

"To send a message to Mark," Julia answered. "Succeeding in what he had failed, would've been my ultimate revenge. – But I guess I have to get consolation from that video I'm going to send him."

Julia kneeled over to Max and looked at her.

"Our time is coming to an end," she said. "I'm curious, though, how you were able to put the pieces together?"

"Wouldn't you like to know, you bitch!" Max managed to put together a smirk.

Max's taunt hit its target and Julia raised her hand to slap the helpless brunette, when she suddenly stopped. She was looking around her bewildered, before she again looked at Max but this time a concern on her face.

"Jesus, god! Max!" Max saw Julia say with an accent that she recognized immediately. "What did she do to you?"

"C-, Chloe?" Max asked quietly.

"Yes it's me, Maximus," Chloe said.

"W-, what took you so long?" Max let out a faint smile.

"I was held up. Otherwise I would've come sooner," Chloe answered. "I'm so sorry, Max."

"No, Chloe. It's me who should be apologizing," Max said. "I totally overreacted."

"Let's worry about that later," Chloe said. "We need to get you medical help."

"I-, I think it's too late, Chloe," Max said faintly. "Soon I'll be joining you."

Chloe looked at her lover and sensed her to be right. A single tear ran down her cheek.

"No!" she said defiantly. "You're not going to die on my watch!"

Chloe stood up and picked up Max's phone from her bag. She chose Victoria's number and phoned her.

"Victoria? It's Chloe. – Listen! I need you to take that picture of the butterfly and drive to Julia's apartment! – Julia's got Max and she's dying! – I'm in control but I can't leave Max. – You know the address? – Ok, hurry!" Chloe hung up.

"Victoria's on her way, Max." Chloe kneeled over to Max, cut her ties and took her on her lap. "Try to hang in there!"

"I-, I'm so co-, cold, Chloe," Max said to her. "Why'd you ask Victoria to bring the picture?"

"I figured the only way to get you out of this alive is that you go back and don't let that creep Prescott to kill me," Chloe answered.

"But what about Arcadia Bay?" Max protested.

"Remember how you told me that I was your number one priority? – Well, you are mine," Chloe said to her. "I know I said that the people of Arcadia Bay deserved to live over me, but I won't accept the idea that you'd have to die for them too. You are awesome, Max Caulfield and I love you!"

"I love you too, Chloe Price." Max answered. "I'd kiss you but I really can't get my head around the idea that you're in Julia's body."

"We'll have plenty of time for that, once we're back," Chloe assured. "Maybe, through some miracle, we'll figure a way to warn the people of Arcadia Bay about the storm."

"Here's hoping," Max concurred.

* * *

Victoria was driving like she never had driven before. The speedometer of the BMW was showing 80 miles per hour as she weaved between cars. She'd run through several red lights and only sheer luck had kept her from hitting anyone.

Chloe's call on Max's phone had been a shock. _I should have never let Max go alone,_ Victoria had thought, when she had taken the picture with her and run to her car. Luckily there was not much traffic at this time of hour.

Victoria arrived at Julia's address. She parked on the sidewalk and ran into the stairs. A few leaps later she was behind Julia's door, which was ajar.

Victoria stepped inside and ran into the living room.

"Max, Chloe!" Where are you?" Victoria shouted.

"In here!" Julia's voice came from the corridor between the bookcases.

Victoria stepped into the hidden studio and found her roommate lying on the floor and Julia's figure kneeled over her.

"Max!" The blonde woman ran to them. "How is she?"

"She hasn't got much time left," Chloe said. "Take your phone! Here's what I want you to do..."

* * *

Stacy Kowalski sat at her computer and tried to get some sense into the two records that were active.

 _I really need to get more sleep,_ she thought. She had absolutely no recollection of opening Joseph Adams' file and especially the one of Julia Bennett.

Now, when she was looking at the two files side by side, it made perfect sense why they were open.

 _Joseph Adams is Julia Bennett,_ Stacy thought. _I just wish I knew how I came to this conclusion._

Stacy's thoughts were cut off by her phone. Finn's name was on the caller id.

"Talk to me, Finn," she answered the phone.

"I just finished with Mark Jefferson here," Finn said in the other end of the line. "He told me something interesting about Joseph Adams."

"He's Julia Bennett," Kowalski said.

"What? How did you...?"

"Let's just call it intuition. Anything else?"

"Not really," Finn said. "Jefferson hasn't kept in touch with her after he left Seattle."

"Should I call Bennett in for questioning?" Kowalski asked.

"I guess so, although the only thing we have her connecting to this case is that she used to know Jefferson in his Seattle days," Finn answered.

"I'll call her-" Kowalski's phone began to vibrate. "Hold on I got another call coming." She pressed the answer button. "Detective Kowalski."

"This is Victoria Chase," a frantic voice said in the other end.

"How can I help you Ms. Chase?" Kowalski asked.

"I went to search my roommate in Julia Bennett's home and I wound her here tied and wounded! Please-" The call ended abruptly.

Kowalski looked at her phone for a passing moment trying to process what she had just heard, before switching back to Korhonen.

"Finn, I just got a call from Victoria Chase," Stacy said distressed. "She had found her roommate, Maxine Caulfield tied and wounded in Julia Bennett's home. After that the call ended."

"Shit!" Finn cursed. "Take some backup and go there! Call dispatch to send the closest unit in Bennett's address!"

"Will do!" Kowalski ended the call.

_Aw crap! Hope we make it in time!_

* * *

Max was beginning to have trouble staying conscious. Her breathing had become shallow and her feet felt cold.

"Max! Try to stay with us!" Chloe said to her. "Okay, we don't have much time! Let's quickly go this through!" She was now holding Julia's pistol in her hand.

"As soon as the cops come in, I'm gonna point this thing at them and Julia's going to get what's coming to her," Chloe said. "I'll of course bail out at the right moment." She turned to look at Max. "When Julia falls down, you focus into that picture and don't look back! Is that clear?"

"Cl- clear," Max whispered.

"Victoria," Chloe said. "You must understand that when Max goes into that picture and changes whatever she changes, this reality will cease to exist. There's no telling where you'll end up."

Victoria looked at Chloe. The thought of everything coming to an end frightened her, but then she looked at her dying friend and the fear gave way to determination. "I understand," she finally said.

"If there's something you two want to say to each other, now's the time to do it," Chloe said.

Victoria kneeled down next to Max. The brunette reached to place her hand on Victoria's cheek.

"Oh, Victoria!" Max said faintly. "I'm so sorry I failed to see how you felt about me."

"It's all right Max." A tear fell down on Victoria's cheek. "I'm sorry I didn't have the courage to be more direct about my feelings."

"I'm happy I could call you my friend all these years, Victoria Chase," Max said.

"Me too," Victoria concurred. "Max?"

"Yes Victoria?"

"Don't give up on me," the blonde said. "Try to get through to the real me behind the queen bee-atch."

"I will never give up on you," Max promised.

"Just be straight about your intentions, okay?"

"I will."

"I love you, Maxine Caulfield," Victoria said and placed a kiss on Max's forehead.

"I know," Max said and smiled to her.

"Good bye, both of you," Victoria said finally.

"See you on the other side."

"I hate to barge into your mushy moment but I think we're getting some company," Chloe interrupted them. "Get ready, Max!"

Chloe pointed the gun towards the two women on the floor. She saw the freckled brunette take the photo firmly in her both hands.

Victoria held Max on her lap. She could see two police officers barge into the room.

"Freeze! This is the police!" one of the officers bellowed, pointing his weapon at Chloe.

Max saw how Chloe turned her gun holding hand towards the officers, to which they responded with firing. Max could've sworn that for a passing moment between Chloe leaving Julia's body and the bullets hitting their target, she could see the amazement in Julia's eyes. Victoria screamed as Julia fell to the floor.

 _Now!_ Max thought and focused on the picture. Memories of the closing hurricane flooded into her mind, as the picture began to pulsate and everything faded into white.

* * *

 _Click! Whrrrr!_ Max's Polaroid camera spat the photo out. She took the newly taken photo in her hands and shook it to quicken the development process.

Max looked at the photo and then tore it into pieces. _Okay, Caulfield! This time you have to get it right!_

She looked at her image in the mirror. Seeing her younger self made Max realize how much toll four years of grieving had actually taken on her.

 _Something in me died too on this very same day,_ she thought.

Max crouched behind the stalls as she tried to figure out a different outcome from the two previous outcomes. She could just save Chloe again by setting the fire alarm but then the storm would come and as she would be on autopilot, she wouldn't be able to warn the people or otherwise affect the run of events.

There was only one other option she could think of.

Max heard the door open and Nathan Prescott step inside. She stood up again and stepped in front of Nathan.

"What the fuck are you doing here?" Nathan asked clearly not happy about Max's presence.

"Well, this is the girl's restroom," Max answered looking around her. "But I am here to talk to you Nathan."

"Well, I don't have time for you, so why don't you make like a tree and leave!"

"I know that you're waiting for Chloe, who's coming to blackmail you for your drug trafficking," Max said to Nathan, who couldn't hide his surprise.

"How do you-," Nathan started but Max cut him off.

"It doesn't matter," Max said sternly. "What matters, is that I know you drugged Kate Marsh and let Jefferson take pictures of her."

Nathan Prescott just stood staggered, when Max spoke. But the punch line was just coming.

"I also know that you overdosed Rachel Amber and then you and Jefferson buried her body in the junkyard," Max let her words sink in.

It took a moment before Nathan was able get his act together. "You can't prove anything!" Nathan tried to brush off Max's claims.

"I have proof that'll place you at a certain barn," Max said. That wasn't exactly true but Max hoped Nathan wouldn't see her bluff. "And we both know what lies beneath that barn."

That was the final blow. Nathan gasped for air and looked like he could have a nervous breakdown any moment.

"What do you want? Money?" he raged.

"No, Nathan," Max said calmly. "I want you to do the right thing and turn yourself in. – You and that bastard Jefferson. I know that he's been using you."

"Yes he has," Nathan admitted. "He and many other people, but that's going to end! No one's going to tell me what to do anymore!" He pulled his gun and pointed it at Max. "Do you hear? No one!"

"Look, Nathan, please put the gun away," Max pleaded, realizing that she had pushed the young man over the edge. "You don't have to do this!"

"Shut up, bitch! Or I will make you!" Nathan pulled back the hammer on his gun.

At that moment the door opened and Chloe stepped in. She looked at the freckled brunette and realized that it was her childhood friend who was being aimed with a gun.

"No!" Chloe yelled as she jumped on Nathan.

Nathan's gun went off as Chloe knocked him down to the floor. Max felt her left leg go limp and she also fell to the tiled floor.

"Max!" Chloe said frantically. "Are you all right? – Someone, call an ambulance!"

Max looked at her leg, which was bleeding rapidly. The leg of her jeans was soaked. She was starting to feel dizzy. She saw how the bright haze at the restroom door began to clear and she could see the school hallway. Then everything went black.

**To be continued...**


	8. It's the End of the World as We Know It

Max opened her eyes. It was dim. She blinked a couple of times to adjust to the darkness.

 _Where am I?_ She thought. Her throat felt sore. She raised her arm and saw there was an IV drip attached to it. She realized that she was lying on a bed, and the smell. She was in a hospital.

Max looked around and saw a figure sleeping on the bedside. She recognized the beanie that was covering the blue hair.

 _Chloe, you're alive!_ Max reached her other hand to touch Chloe's cheek. The blue haired punk girl winced awake and looked at the brunette lying in bed.

"Max, you're awake?" Chloe said. "Thank god! You scared the shit out of me!"

"Chloe, what day is it?" Max croaked with her sore throat.

"Relax, babe, it's Saturday, the storm never came," Chloe calmed her. "Arcadia Bay's a-ok."

"That's a relief-," Max could say before she realized the true meaning of Chloe's words.

"Chloe, are you... you?" she asked timidly.

"Zits and all, Maximus." Chloe let out a warm smile as she reached out for glass of water. "I guess you could say I repossessed my own body. Apparently there's a no return policy for memories acquired from Purga-whatever-shit."

Max took a sip from the glass and let out an impish grin. "Well then, Price. What are you waiting for?"

"Yes, Ma'am!" Chloe grinned back and leaned forward to place a kiss on the brunette's lips.

Max raised her arms around Chloe's neck. She could feel a single tear drop on her cheek from the corner of the punk girl's eye. The taste of Chloe's lips was something Max had longed for four years, so she whimpered a bit in protest as Chloe pulled herself back.

"I know," Chloe said. "I'd love to have you all to myself too, but your folks will probably kill me, if I don't go and tell them that you're awake."

"Mom and dad are here?" Max asked.

"They arrived on the same evening you were shot," Chloe said. "We've been taking turns by your bed."

Chloe stood up and walked to the door. "Look, I'll be back soon. I'll just let Joyce and the others know the good news. We have a lot of stuff to discuss."

* * *

Max felt that it took an eternity, before Chloe returned to her. First, Max's parents had come to see her. Vanessa Caulfield had held her daughter in tight embrace and cried most of the time. Ryan Caulfield had been more restrained but also he was in an emotional state as he watched his daughter lying on the bed.

The emotion laden reunion had been interrupted by the doctor who had performed the surgery on Max. He told her that Max had nearly bled to death as the bullet had hit an artery in the thigh. Had Chloe not applied a tourniquet on her thigh, Max would not be here. The operation performed to repair the artery meant that it would take time and intensive rehabilitation, before she could walk again.

Max's phone was filled with get well messages, from Kate, Warren and Dana, of course, but more surprisingly from Victoria too.

 _Glad you're ok. -V,_ read in the courteous message.

During her short moments of solitude, Max tried to get her head around why she had stayed in this time and not fast forwarded all the four years back to the future. She remembered that just before her passing out, the scene had not faded in brightness as usual but instead the bright haze beyond the picture's boundaries had cleared. Not that she really complained about the outcome but it was strange altogether.

Finally, after another, rather a lengthy visit from Max's parents, a blue haired head, covered in a beanie peeked from the door gap.

"Yo, Bat-Max, you alone in there?" Chloe asked and walked in.

"Yeah," Max answered. "I thought my parents would never leave. - I mean, I'm glad to see them, of course, but I've missed my guardian angel." The remark was awarded with an embrace and a passionate kiss.

Max looked at her left leg, which was in bandages, every attempt to move it resulted in a slight sting in her thigh. The morphine drip damped the pain into a mere throbbing but all movement increased the throbbing to a sting.

"My left leg is practically dead weight, until the rehabilitation starts to kick in," Max said frustrated.

"I guess it's my turn to haul you in a wheelchair on the beach," Chloe grinned.

Max couldn't miss the deeper meaning in Chloe's words. Max still had the use of her other limbs and wasn't confined in a respirator, like Chloe had been in the alternative timeline. Moreover, in time, she would fully recover.

"I'm sorry, Chloe," Max said. "I guess I should be thankful that I'm still here."

"Plus you owe me a pair of suspenders," Chloe added. "Had to use mine to slow down the bleeding."

Max grinned and giggled but suddenly burst into tears. Chloe took her in her embrace and held her as she sobbed against her shoulder.

"Sorry about your shirt," Max finally said, still sobbing. "I guess I'm a bit emotional."

"Don't worry about it." Chloe dried the brunette's cheeks. "Make yourself comfortable. We have a lot to talk about."

Chloe leaned back on her chair. "As you probably can guess, I didn't just wait by your bedside," she began. "Since you were out of commission, someone had to step in and perform all the Maximonious heroics."

Chloe told Max how after being arrested, Nathan had confessed everything and Jefferson had been apprehended soon after that.

"When the news about Nathan's and Jefferson's actions were out, I went to Victoria and dragged her to Kate's room, closed the door and told they're not getting out until they have solved their issues."

Max smiled at the thought of Victoria being dragged against her will to Kate's room.

"After a while I heard someone crying in the room, so I thought I'd check up on them," Chloe continued. "To my surprise, it was Victoria, who was crying on the floor on Kate's lap."

"Very subtle, Dr. Price," Max chuckled.

"Whatever gets the job done," Chloe shrugged her shoulders. "I had a chat with Kate later. She told me that Victoria had been sincerely sorry about the video and removed it. Kate had sorted things out with her folks too."

Chloe continued her recap of the week's events by telling how the Arcadia Bay police had retrieved Rachel's body from the junkyard. A funeral was planned right after the body was released from forensics.

"At least her folks get to bid their farewells," Chloe said plaintively.

"How are you doing with it?" Max asked, knowing Chloe's history with Rachel.

The blue haired punk shrugged her shoulders. "I-, I don't know," she answered. "I mean, in reality I've known it for four years and had the time to process it."

Chloe turned to gaze out the window. "First I was happy, when I met Rachel in Purgatory but when it turned out that she actually wasn't Rachel after all, I've felt kinda empty."

Max reached to put her hand on Chloe's shoulder. "I'm sure she's fine wherever she is now, and you too can now bid your farewells."

Chloe smiled at Max. "I guess you're right, Maxaroni. - I have one request from you, though. Would you come with me to the funeral?"

"Of course I will. I should be released from the hospital sometime next week, so that won't be an issue."

"Whatever would I do without you, Super-Max?"

"Apparently quite a lot." Max smirked. "So I heard Victoria is now in San Francisco with Mrs. Grant?"

"Hoooyeah!" Chloe confirmed. "I did leave your entry on your behalf and it was a tie as on the last time but since you were - prevented, Victoria's entry was then chosen to be sent to San Francisco."

"Well, Vic deserves it," Max remarked. "As I recall, her entry was pretty awesome." She put her hands on her forehead and sighed. "How the hell am I supposed to remember not to call her 'Vic'?"

"I wouldn't lose my sleep over it," Chloe said. "If she can't handle being called 'Vic', then it's her problem. – Oh, almost forgot, Wapner sends his regards."

Max snickered. "You'd think after all we've been though, you'd give Warren that much credit that you call him by his real name."

"Let me think about that. – Naah, not gonna happen!" The punk girl shook her head.

"There's my Chloe!" Max smirked. "Back in Seattle you were 'oh so serious'."

"Hey! I've been acting so responsibly all this week!" Chloe argued. "I mean even my mom said I appeared more mature all of a sudden," she said, rolling her eyes. "Mature my ass! After four years six feet under I wouldn't go any less than ripe!"

"Ugh, gross!" Max blurted.

"Thinking about it; that would make a hella Halloween costume!" Chloe thought out loud.

"What, you dress up as a four years decomposed version of yourself?" Max grimaced. "And just when I thought you couldn't get any grosser."

"Hey, we aim to excel," Chloe said and leaned to kiss the freckled brunette.

* * *

The days went by slowly. Max's parents stayed a couple of more days, before they had to return to Seattle. They would've preferred to take Max with them but she had convinced them that returning back to school as soon as possible would be the best thing for her. On the other hand she had promised to accompany Chloe in Rachel's funeral, so going back to Seattle was off the table.

The police came to question her about the shooting. Max had worked up a story with Chloe, how they had already met in secrecy before the shooting. Chloe had come to Max with her suspicions about Nathan dealing drugs, backed with material that David had on him. Together they had tailed Nathan to the barn, where they had also seen Jefferson's car. Luckily, no one bothered to follow their story further as the other evidence was withstanding. Both Max and Chloe had been reprimanded for not coming to the police with their evidence and that Max should consider herself lucky that she was still alive. No further action was however taken.

The police had also brought up the subject of Jefferson's files and the empty one with Max's name on it. To that, Max had half-feigned being shocked and regretted that she really could not shed any more light into that matter.

Max was regularly visited by her classmates. Warren visited once with Brooke. Max could sense that there was something going on between the two but she decided to be discreet about it. They'd tell when there was something to tell.

Kate visited almost on daily basis. She usually brought flowers with her to cheer Max up but on her last visit she brought someone with her. Victoria stood quietly by the door while Max and Kate changed a few words. Kate then excused herself.

Victoria looked like she would've wanted to follow the smaller girl but after a moment of hesitation she took a few steps towards the bed.

"Caulfield," the blonde girl said bluntly.

"Vic ...toria," Max said and bit her lip. _This is not your roomie you're talking to!_ "Congratulations on winning the contest!"

"Thank you." Victoria allowed the corners of her mouth rise to a smile of sorts. "Yours wasn't too bad either."

"Thank you, Victoria." Max smiled. "From you that is quite a compliment."

The hint of smile disappeared from Victoria's face. "This was a bad idea." She turned away.

"Vic-, Max pleaded, realizing that she had upset Victoria with her remark. "Don't go."

The blonde stopped and turned. "You know, only my closest friends call me 'Vic'. And you certainly don't fall into that category."

"Sorry, Victoria," Max corrected. "And I didn't mean to be rude." Max's peace offering made Victoria a bit more at ease. "So, did Kate talk you over to come to see me?"

"Actually, I asked Kate if I could join her," Victoria said. "These last few days have been crazy, with Nathan and Mr. Jefferson being arrested. I-, I just can't understand that they were capable of such horrible things!" She sat on the chair by the bed and crossed her arms on her knees.

"I mean, when the police came and told me about the file that Jefferson had prepared for me, I was devastated." Victoria covered her face with her palms. "I admired and looked up to that man! – My god, I even flirted with him!" She burst into tears.

Max rose to a sitting position in order to be able to reach Victoria. She put her hand on her shoulder. "I know, I was as devastated as you were," she said. "He had a file prepared for me too." Max closed her eyes wondering how long the memories of being held captive by Jefferson would haunt her.

Max looked at the young woman next to her. She hadn't expected Victoria to let her guard down with her so soon.

"You know if you can always come to me, if you want to talk about something, anything," Max said to her.

Victoria raised her head, momentarily bewildered about the offer. She however quickly restored her composure and the stern look on her face. "Thank you but I have enough friends to confine to."

"If you say so," Max said. "But my offer still stands." _Too much too soon, Caulfield._

* * *

Chloe had only made a couple of quick visits during the week. The evening before Rachel's funeral, she however snug into Max's room after visiting hours.

"Hello, stranger," Max said.

"Sorry, Maximus," Chloe said apologetically. "Been hella busy this week."

"You must've been as I've hardly seen a glimpse of you during this whole week," Max said feigning indignation. "The days here go on so slow without you."

"Sorry, I'll make it up to you, promise," the blue haired punk said.

"So what you've been up to?"

"I'm going back to school, starting from New Year," Chloe said.

"You're coming back to Blackwell?" Max's expression brightened.

"Unfortunately no," Chloe said. "I literally burned that bridge behind me. I applied to Arcadia High and was admitted. I figured I should be able to get my high school diploma by spring and should be able to apply to some college in Seattle or wherever you decide to go. - It's all the same for me. I just wanna be with you."

Max smiled at her lover. "I'm so proud of you, Chloe." Max's attention turned to Chloe's arm. "Is that a nicotine patch I'm seeing?"

Chloe shrugged her shoulders. "Well, I figured that since I'm no longer able to ruin other people's lungs and I don't want to taste like an ashtray to you, I'd give a go at quitting." She looked down on the patch on her arm. "Hella agonizing being without, though."

"Well, you know that I'll accept you as you are, but if you're sure about this, I'll promise to support you all the way," Max said.

"I'm sure," Chloe affirmed. "But I reserve the right for occasional baking."

"As long as I don't have to take the blame for your baking."

"Deal!" Chloe chuckled. "By the way, I brought your dress for the funeral."

"Thanks, I really hadn't thought of that," Max said.

"You're welcome," Chloe said and leaned over Max smiling seductively. "Now that we have that out of the way, have you ever done it in a hospital?"

"Well, since I rewound four years back in time, I technically haven't done it, period." Max grinned.

"In that case, here's for your _second_ first time." Chloe kissed the freckled brunette.

* * *

Max sat on the edge of the bed. She was wearing the same dress that she had worn in Chloe's funeral in the other timeline. She also had the same doe necklace that she had worn then. She looked at her left thigh which was still in bandages after the surgery. The short hem of the dress wouldn't have covered the wound but Chloe had also brought a blanket to cover her legs, when she sat in the wheelchair.

Her leg was still too weak for using crutches. She had already begun rehabilitation for her leg but being able to walk was still in a distant future.

The door opened and Chloe stepped in and hugged Max. "You ready?"

"Yup, just help me to the wheelchair," Max answered.

Chloe pushed the wheelchair next to the bed and held it in place, when Max swung herself on the seat.

"I never got to tell you how hot you looked in that dress," Chloe said, examining Max.

"So you were at your own funeral?"

"Hoooyeah," Chloe confirmed.

Chloe took Max's personal items and pushed her out of the room. They took the elevator downstairs and stepped outside and walked to the parking lot.

"Your chariot awaits, milady," Chloe said to Max, whose eyes widened when she saw the car Chloe had came with.

It was the 1979 metallic blue Ford Ranchero that Max had bought for herself in the other timeline.

"Chloe?"

"Yes, Max?"

"Not you, the truck," Max corrected.

Chloe looked at Max. "You so not did name that rust bucket after me!" she blurted.

Max grinned. "I thought you said it was hella cool."

"No, I said the plates were hella cool. - Wait, you knew it was me?" Chloe asked.

"Not right away, but I did the math," Max answered. "Did you ever take a look at the original plates?"

"Uh, no," Chloe answered and walked to the truck. 'VOA GRS' was printed on the Oregon plates. She grinned. "I see what you mean."

"Dude, this truck has destiny written all over it," Max said to the punk girl. "But seriously, you bought the Ranchero for me?"

"Well, it was the least I could do for saving my life," Chloe said. "Besides, it's mostly courtesy of the Blackwell handicap fund."

"But we never did..." Max said puzzled.

"No, but I had a nice chat with Mrs. Grant, who's the acting principal, while Wells is suspended due to the investigation," Chloe explained. "Since you technically are handicapped, Mrs. Grant agreed to support the purchase. I also got a hella better deal on the car than you did, when I said that the truck didn't have brakes."

Max slid her hand on the Ranchero's fender. "How can I ever thank you, Chloe?"

"Oh, I can think of a few ways." Chloe grinned impishly. "Thank David too. He and I busted our asses to get the truck roadworthy."

"'David'?" Max lifted her eyebrow about Chloe referring David as something else than step douche, or step-prick.

"Yeah, we're kinda on first name basis now," Chloe said. "I guess we managed to find some common ground, when we were fixing the truck."

"Well, I'm glad that you're getting along," Max said.

Chloe opened the driver's door and pushed Max next to the driver's seat.

"What, you want me to drive?" Max asked slightly confused.

"Hoooyeah, your truck, you drive." Chloe put the keys on Max's hand. "You should be able to operate the truck just fine with one leg."

Chloe helped Max on the driver's seat and put the wheelchair in the back, before joining the brunette on the passenger's seat.

Max turned the key. The small block V8 came to life. 'River Venom' by Lapko started playing loud on the speakers of the car stereo.

Max turned the volume down. "Isn't this a bit lively on a day like this?" she asked.

"Lapko was one of Rachel's favorite bands," Chloe explained the choice of music.

"Well, in that case..." Max grinned and cranked the volume up a bit.

Max put the gear on drive and pressed the gas pedal. The truck responded with a low growl and moved forward.

"Do we still have time before the funeral begins?" Max asked as they drove through the town center.

"Yeah, about half an hour," Chloe answered.

"Good, because I'd like to make a stop at one place."

"You're driving," Chloe said.

Max parked on the beach parking lot. Chloe took the wheelchair on the back and helped the small brunette on it. Max made notice that Frank Bowers' RV was missing.

"I wonder where Frank's gone. I didn't see his RV by the Two Whales either," Max asked Chloe.

"He's left town," Chloe said. "I went and told him what happened to Rachel. He was pretty devastated about that he was partly responsible to Rachel's death."

Chloe began to push Max along the path up to the lighthouse.

"He told me that we were cool and he needed to do some thinking. The next day he was gone," Chloe said to Max as they walked along the path.

They arrived to the cliff by the lighthouse. The sun was shining brightly on the clear afternoon sky and it reflected brightly from the calm Pacific Ocean. A few gulls broke the silence with their screech.

"It feels so amazing to sit here with you and watch the calm ocean," Max said to Chloe who was standing next to her.

"Me too, Maximus, me too."

Max looked up to the blue haired girl. "What are we going to do about Julia Bennett?"

Chloe looked back at the freckled brunette and shrugged her shoulders. "There's not much we can do now. She hasn't committed any crime yet."

"It's pretty troublesome knowing that few years from now she'll follow the same path as Mark Jefferson."

"In case she does, we'll be ready for her," Chloe assured.

"I guess that'll have to do for now," Max said.

A blue butterfly landed on the bench, flapped its wings a few times and then flew off. Both young women watched it fly away.

"There's one thing that's been bothering me since I woke up," Max said. "Why didn't I fast forward back four years into the future after Nathan shot me? Instead I came out of focus before passing out."

"Who knows," Chloe responded. "Maybe you made the right choice this time. Maybe fate decided that our future wasn't written yet." She put her hands on Max's shoulders and bent over to kiss her. "I'm not complaining."

"Me neither," Max smiled. "Pretty strange, though."

"Life is."


	9. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Artwork credits in this chapter go to Mai Queti.

** **

 

**San Francisco, October 11th 2013**

Victoria stood by her entry for the Everyday Heroes contest at the exhibition. She had received lot of compliments from the visitors during the evening and she felt proud of her achievement.

Still, she felt that it should've been Max's entry on display here and not hers. She had seen Max's entry and felt that hers was no match to that.

Victoria had been surprised, when she had heard that the contest was a tie and since Max wasn't able to participate, there was no point of drawing the participating entry. Therefore Victoria's entry stood here on the wall.

"Very impressive piece of work," a woman said next to her.

"Thank you!" Victoria turned to face the woman and recognized her immediately. "You're Julia Bennett! I'm a huge fan of your work!"

"That's so kind of you, my dear," Julia said. "You have quite a talent for photography," she complimented. "I understood that you're studying at Blackwell."

"That's correct," Victoria confirmed. "I guess you've heard what happened to our photography professor, Mark Jefferson?"

"Yes, that was very sad hearing of him," the older woman remarked.

Julia stood quiet as if she was contemplating something. "Tell you what," she finally said. "I could come up to Arcadia Bay to keep a few lectures. I'll have a chat with your principal and ask if it's ok to come."

"Wow! That would be awesome!" Victoria said. "Our acting principal is with me here. I'll introduce you."

When she walked away from the picture with Julia, she noticed a man standing in the corner. He was in his mid thirties, had a strawberry blond hair and was smiling. There was something familiar about him. A passer-by person blocked him from Victoria's view for a second and when she regained the line of sight he was gone, like he never had been there. Victoria blinked her eyes a couple of times in puzzlement but then shrugged her shoulders and went after Julia.

* * *

**Arcadia Bay, October 17th 2013**

"Now would you mind explaining me one more time, why giving this piece of shit to Max would make her happy?" David Madsen asked Chloe, when he tried to loosen a seized slave cylinder of the Ford Ranchero's brake saddle.

"Trust me, Dave, Max'll love it," Chloe said to her stepfather, when she tried to get the front disc loose.

"Chloe, David! Why don't you guys take a break," Chloe shouted from within the house. "I've made some sandwiches."

Chloe and David walked into the bathroom to wash their hands and joined Joyce in the kitchen.

"You know Dave, that research work you did on Nathan Prescott was pretty impressive," Chloe said. "Have you thought about joining the police force?"

David looked at her stepdaughter in disbelief. Joyce frowned and raised her hand to indicate that she was going to say something but Chloe raised her own hand.

"I'm dead serious here," she said. "You obviously have a knack for doing investigative work and your military training could be easily applied to the police field work."

David eased up a little. "I suppose you have a point there," he admitted. "But I don't think a combat veteran with PTSD stands much of a chance getting into the Police Academy."

"I'm pretty sure that you wouldn't be the worst of the flock," Chloe said. "I know that we haven't seen eye to eye in many occasions but trust me, I'm not fu-, messing with you on this one."

David turned to face his wife. "Joyce, what do you think of it?"

"Well, at least you should give it some thought," Joyce suggested.

"Maybe I should," David said. "But we better get back to work, if we're going to get that Ranchero ready for Max by Saturday."

* * *

**Seattle, October 25th 2013**

"You called, Ed?" John Korhonen stepped into his superior's office.

"Finn, meet your new partner, Detective Stacy Kowalski," Captain Edward Munson said. "Kowalski, this is Detective Sergeant John Korhonen."

"Call me Finn," Korhonen said to his new partner. "Everyone else does."

"Ok, Finn. I'm Stacy," Kowalski shook Finn's hand.

"Finn will show you your desk and the works," Captain Munson said.

"Was that all, Ed?" Finn asked.

Munson passed a file to Finn, who opened it.

"Janice Smith, 18 years, didn't return home from a student party. She's been missing for 48 hours now," Munson said.

Finn went through the information briefly. "Ok, we'll look into it." He walked towards the door. "After you." He opened the door for Stacy.

"Thank you, Finn."

"Let's get some coffee and go over this," Finn smiled to her.

* * *

**Arcadia Bay, October 25** **th** **2013**

RACHEL DAWN AMBER

Beloved Daughter

July 22, 1994 – April 23, 2013

Frank Bowers stood by Rachel's grave with Pompidou. He set a single rose next to the granite gravestone.

"Sorry I missed your funeral. Had to leave town and do some thinking," Frank said to the gravestone. "Besides, I thought I probably wouldn't have been welcome."

"Chloe came by and told me what had happened to you. I hope that you can someday forgive me the fact that I was partly responsible for your death. – I sure as hell can't forgive myself."

"Chloe told me about your plan. I just wish you could've come straight to me but I guess I wasn't going to be a part of that plan."

"I don't blame you, though. I'm not exactly the ideal husband, or even boyfriend."

"For what it's worth, what happened to you made me realize that what I have now, I don't want it to be my legacy. I want to show you – and to myself that I can change, have a purpose in life."

Frank dug out a title deed from his inside pocket and folded it open.

"I've bought an abandoned farm from the outskirts of Arcadia. I spent every single dime I've ever made with dealing drugs to it. – I'm going to turn it into a dog shelter."

"It probably won't be enough to redeem myself of what happened to you but at least it's a step into right direction and maybe I will be able to save a few mistreated dogs in the process."

"I love you, Rachel. I will always love you. Maybe in another life, we'll find each other again."

Pompidou watched his master with big eyes and panted. He let out a single joyful bark, which was rewarded with a smile and scratching from his master.

The setting sun painted the gravestone golden as Frank and Pompidou slowly walked away.

* * *

**Seattle, November 24** **th** **2013**

Vanessa Caulfield's phone chimed as a message arrived into it. She reached for the phone from the sofa to see what it was. "It's from Max," she said to her husband sitting next to her.

"Let me guess, our daughter needs more money to buy gas for that truck of hers," Ryan Caulfield said half jokingly from behind his newspaper.

"No, there's a picture…" Vanessa looked at the picture. It was taken from a vantage point with the skyline of Vancouver on the background. Max was in Chloe's arm. She was wearing a snow white wool coat on top of white dress and Chloe was wearing a dark grey wool coat on top of what appeared to be a tuxedo. Max had a bouquet of flowers in her hand. The picture was accompanied by a message.

_Mom, Dad, Chloe and I got married. A lot of crazy things have happened during the last two months, which resulted that we are now here in Vancouver, celebrating our matrimony. Chloe and I are in love with each other and we're dead serious about this. Please, please be happy for us. We'll be coming over for Thanksgiving as agreed. See you in a couple of days. – Love, Max_

Ryan Caulfield lifted his eyes from the newspaper and turned to look at his wife, when he heard the phone drop on the floor. Vanessa was staring in front of her with her mouth open. "Vanessa, honey, is everything all right?" Ryan asked.

Vanessa turned to face her husband. "Our daughter has got married, with Chloe Price."

"That's nice, honey. Tell them I said hi," Ryan said and returned to his paper.


End file.
